Tyrhys Dolan celebrated his fine curling goal with his usual gusto, but there would have been some trepidation too as Rovers went 2-0 up once again.

It’s a position Rovers have regularly found themselves in at Ewood, a sixth time in seven games in fact, but the memories of the dropped points against Luton Town and Coventry City, the latter only seven days earlier, will have been firmly in the mind.

Their opportunity to dispel those demons would have to be done without three of their first choice back four, with Harry Pickering already out and Ryan Nyambe following Daniel Ayala in limping out of the encounter.

There were some nervy moments, including bookings for Jan Paul van Hecke and Ian Poveda, a succession of shots blocked as Reading spent time camped in the Rovers half, and not always the greatest composure on the break to put the result beyond doubt, but to claim a third clean sheet of the campaign a week on from the Coventry collapse should help break a psychological barrier.

Try to win at home and not lose away is becoming an increasingly clear aim for Rovers.  While things were safe on the road at Reading, Ewood is becoming something of a safety blanket.

Their latest success was a fourth in seven games this season, and dating back to last season, it’s seven wins, two draws and only one defeat, with 28 goals thrown in for good measure.   

Key to that has been their ability to score in quick succession. Their previous 2-0 win over Hull City saw Rovers score twice in four minutes, just after the hour, they led against Luton Town courtesy of two in the same timeframe, with two in six minutes against Coventry and two in eight on two occasions when Cardiff City were the visitors.

Rovers had been lining up a double change on the hour, but held one of those back as Nyambe went down with another hamstring injury, as Ian Poveda was sent on.

We may never know whether the planned introduction of Reda Khadra would have seen either of Dolan or Sam Gallagher replaced, the pair soon wheeling away in celebration as Rovers took the game away from Reading.

Several chances had fallen the way of Gallagher before the easiest opportunity of them all fell his way.

Mowbray admitted afterwards his side lacked confidence from the off, and that looked to tell as they were unwilling to engage high up the pitch against a Reading side who dominated the ball.

Femi Azeez and Baba Rahman had blazed shots over, while Rovers’ recovery skills in defence allowed them block several more goalbound efforts, the visitors’ best effort falling the way of full back Andy Yiadom, but he planted a header from a Ovie Ejaria cross straight at Thomas Kaminski.

Rovers’ two efforts before the break came from Gallagher, one of a quartet of players restored to the starting line-up after being left out at QPR, and was given the opportunity in his favoured central striking role.

Freed by a Joe Rothwell pass he cannoned a shot off the bar from the left edge of the box, before flashing another wide of the near post after rolling his marker well from a similar position on the right.

As with the Hull win last month, the result was in the balance on the hour mark, but as good as game over soon after.

So often it is Joe Rothwell that can provide the spark for this side, and he did so again, with few finer sights than seeing the midfielder at full flight, driving into the box, and although his attempt came back off the inside of the post, Gallagher tapped into the empty net.

Poveda’s introduction saw the front three interchange positions, Gallagher moved out to the right and Ben Brereton through the middle. That saw Dolan switch flanks, and after being Rovers’ liveliest player on the opposite wing, he showed his qualities when cutting in from the left to curl a beautiful effort into the bottom corner.

A two goal lead heading into the final quarter, game over, you would think? Well given the recent history of these sides, both having let a similar advantage slip within the last week, they would have felt there was plenty more life left.

There were still signs that Rovers sat back a little, and you would couldn’t ignore some nervousness surrounding the home supporters.

Chances to put the game to bed saw Dolan having a similar effort to his goal tipped wide by the fingertips of Luke Southwood, while van Hecke somehow failed to turn home from inside the six-yard box after continuing his run forward after winning a tackle on the edge of the Rovers box to meet a Brereton knock-down.

Sitting back away from the nervous emotion, it was in the end a comfortable win, one just what was ordered after a run of four without a win, and high-fliers Fulham on the horizon at Ewood.

As for where it leaves Rovers, they are back in the top half and in a mix of 11 sides separated by just four points from fifth to 15th. In what is always described as the most competitive division, it feels this year’s Championship is tighter than ever.

Mowbray said ahead of the game that he avoided the ‘boom or bust’ reaction that seems to come from one result, though he equally accepted that the longer-term direction is requiring of attention. It is right to point out there can be concerns about the vision moving forward while being delighted by another three points on the board.

For too long with Rovers there have been peaks and troughs, often down to the inconsistency of results with long unbeaten runs followed by a wait for a win.

The squad remains highly susceptible to injury, as shown by those in defence in recent weeks, but the goal contributions of Brereton, Gallagher and Dolan have now matched last season’s tally of 18 in the opening 14 games.

And if they can start to make the most of the winning positions they have worked themselves in to, particularly at Ewood, they will help keep those waits down to a minimum.