Billy Barr feels Connor McBride could ‘put himself in a really good position’ if he keeps up his goalscoring form for Rovers Under-23s.

McBride scored twice in the 4-1 win over West Ham United on Friday, backing up his double against Manchester United earlier this month, taking his tally to 10 goals in 13 games, averaging a goal every 93 minutes.

Only Manchester City’s Liam Delap has scored more Premier League 2 goals than the 19-year-old who signed for Rovers in the summer from Celtic. The striker scored from the spot to open the scoring, and made it 2-0 early in the second half when tapping home a Luke Brennan cross.

Jack Vale was handed his debut in the penultimate match of last season, and spent time around the first-team set-up, and Barr believes the teenager could follow a similar a path.

The Under-23s boss says McBride has made something of a habit of attracting the ball in the six yard box, and said: “I want him there more!

“The thing is, we’ve presented it to him and said to him that when he gets there the ball seems find him, so keep getting there.

“He could put himself in a really good position between now and the end of the season if he keeps scoring goals.

“We’ll keep working with him and if he keeps getting in there then he’ll get his rewards more often.”

Sam Burns occupied the central striking spot, with McBride playing from the left and Brennan on the right, the winger backing up his assist for the Scot with a goal of his own in the dying stages.

Rovers bounced back from their defeat to Manchester United to go up to second in the Premier League 2 table, and only goal difference separates them from leaders Manchester City.

Barr was pleased with what he saw from his side at Leyland and feels his players are making good progress.

“I have eyes on development and getting people in that first team squad if we can,” he added.

“You never know what’s going to happen, Covid is still around, injuries and suspensions could be looming, they have to be ready if called upon by the gaffer.

“We have to keep concentrating on the development aspect of it and the league table is for the lads, not the coaches.”

Rovers led 1-0 at the break, but required some excellent Antonis Stergiakis saves in the first half, three times denying Nathaniel Holland, but took control after the break.

They played the conditions better than the young Hammers, playing into a strong wind in the first half before using it to their advantage after the break.

Barr explained: “First half was scrappy, very, we saw how difficult it was for West Ham in the second half.

“We spoke at half time about keeping the ball for longer periods and I thought we did it really well, scored some really good goals from lots of passes.

“The composure to play in the wind, I said to them at the end that they have to work through that.

“If they’re going to have careers then November onwards in this country, it’s typical of that.

“You might need to perform as we did in the first half to win the game in the second.

“Credit to them, second half they implemented what we want them to at a really high standard.”