Tony Mowbray called on the club’s supporters to keep backing his young squad as they picked up a third win of the season.

Goals from Daniel Ayala and Ben Brereton moved Rovers to 12 points from their opening seven games, the victory over the Tigers bringing a first clean sheet in 16 matches.

Goalscorer Ayala was one of only four players aged over 23 in the squad, with Rovers options further depleted by a thigh injury to Sam Gallagher, but they chalked up a third win of the season after an excellent final half hour.

Ayala put them ahead with his second of the season, heading home a Joe Rothwell corner, before Brereton thumped home his fourth of the campaign four minutes later.

The introductions of Reda Khadra and Dan Butterworth sparked Rovers into life, and Mowbray was pleased with their impact in turning the game in their favour.

“I said to them before the game that 14 of the 18 were 23 or under and I think they deserve the support they’re getting from the supporters, win, lose or draw,” the manager said.

“I think they’re young lads working their socks off for this team and this club and hopefully they get support for the whole season. They’re giving a huge effort every game from what I can see.

“You know and I know that nobody gets carried away, I never do, because you can lose the next two and everyone will be telling you what you’re doing wrong.

“Let’s enjoy a victory and prepare the team, they can rest us, there’s some tired legs out there.

“We seem to be going to the well every game with Brereton, Travis, Pickering, Lenihan, Ayala, they’re doing huge workloads and we have to keep them fit.

“It’s a fine balancing act between putting the work into them, playing the game, and getting ready for the next one and trying to grow the team.

“This team has to grow, they have to learn how to win games. Saturday was a huge lesson for us of letting a game slip through our fingers and we have to make sure that doesn’t happen again and learn how to win games and see them out.

“The message from me is that the team are doing alright, keep supporting this group of lads and let’s see how far we can take them, but expect the road to be a little rocky because they’re a very young team.

“They deserve a lot of credit for the work they’re putting in every day.”

Rovers picked up their third win of the season while keeping a first clean sheet in 16 matches.

And of the win, Mowbray said: “Three points, clean sheet, two goals, though we weren’t at our best.

“I said at half time they looked a bit jaded, we didn’t play at the usual intensity but I thought we looked a threat on the transition, particularly the first 20 minutes.

“We looked like we could break away and score and that’s what our team has been working a lot on.

“Ultimately the changes with the mobility on transition of Butterworth and Khadra made a big impact on the game.

“All of a sudden they could feel our threat.”