Ben Brereton had gone three games without a goal for the first time this season but ended that wait with a double in the win over Derby County.

While he needed two chances to force the ball over the line from a John Buckley cross to put Rovers ahead in the eighth minute there was an air of confidence to his second goal before the midway point of the half.

He rolled the ball inside the near post of Kelle Roos to double his and Rovers’ tally from a Tyrhys Dolan pass.

Sam Gallagher was also involved in the move, and had chances to get on the scoresheet himself, but it was the workrate of the trio that most impressed manager Tony Mowbray.

The took advantage of Derby’s desire to play the ball out from the back and with a bit more ruthlessness in the final third, the game could have been over by half time.

In the end Rovers had to see off some late pressure in order to see out the win, their sixth of the campaign.

Of his 12 goal striker, Mowbray said: "He's in a confident mood and why shouldn't he be? Not just Brereton I think the attacking three deserve great credit, helping the team to win the ball back and put them under pressure.

"They were immense.

"We constantly try and repeat the messages, try to create an identity of the team and it's not necessarily about how good we are on the ball or that our build-up play is great.

"But then there will be games where the team doesn't have the ball and you have to be good with your build-up. “Then there are other games where the opposition will try and play out from their own six-yard box and you have to try to take advantage of that scenario, which we did."

The win made it back-to-back victories for the first time since January and moved Rovers up to seventh in the standings.

Two tough tests at Ewood Park await next week, with high-flying Fulham and another of last season’s relegated trio, Sheffield United in town before the November international break.

Marco Silva’s Fulham put three past West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, after scoring four in a win at Nottingham Forest the previous weekend, and they arrive with the division’s most lethal marksman in Aleksandar Mitrovic in the ranks.

He has eight goals in his last four games, moving him to 18 for the season, to go with two more for Serbia.

“We've got two really tough matches coming up against sides who were in the Premier League last year,” Mowbray added.

“Fulham on Wednesday, who have scored seven goals in their last two matches without reply with Mitrovic on 18 goals. It's an opportunity for us to have a go without overly trying to shut up shop and keep a clean sheet.”

The referee came in for criticism from Derby boss Wayne Rooney who felt his side should have had a penalty for handball against Tayo Edun, but Mowbray was equally mystified by some of the official’s calls, including given a foul against Gallagher when he looked to have been clipped when breaking through on goal in the second half.

The Rovers boss said: “As I get older, I try not to get wrapped up with referees. I get frustrated sometimes but the emotion of the game, you can't help it.

“Then as the momentum of the game went, it felt to me on my side - Wayne obviously disagreed - every decision seemed to go for them because he got emotionally wrapped up into the game with the fans trying to suck the ball into the back of their net.

"Let the referee manage the game. We all suffer with referees. Over the course of the season, we've had some shocking decisions and shocking results but then we've had some fortunate ones.”