A goalless first half for Rovers at the Riverside meant it was just one goal in the opening 45 minutes of the last 10 matches.

Yet Joe Rothwell’s winner just after the hour mark means no team in the top four divisions has scored more second half goals than Tony Mowbray’s men.

Does it really matter? Well, yes.

WHAT ARE THE STATS?

At half-time, Rovers have been leading six times, drawing 12 and losing seven. Two thirds of their Ewood home matches have either been 0-0 or 0-1 at half-time.

Their first-half record still sees them leading 15-13 on aggregate, yet there’s a 10 goal difference in the second half, 25-15 in their favour.

Last season it was 33-30 and 33-33. Their most prolific 15 minute segment last season was the opening 15 minutes, in which they scored a division high 15 goals.

Right now they’ve scored 15 goals in the final 15 minutes of matches, the most in the division, and four more than they managed last season, such a stark contrast.

Interestingly, they have still managed six goals in the opening 15 minutes this season (only Watford have managed more), though three of those came in the win at Derby County.

And the opening goal at Birmingham City is the only first half goal Rovers have managed since Joe Rothwell’s at Brentford on December 5.

Elsewhere, this was Rovers’ first 1-0 victory since beating Derby at Ewood Park in December 2019. In the same time they have lost six times by that margin.

Such fine margins continue in Rovers matches, with the 2-0 win at Birmingham the only match since the 3-0 victory at Preston in November to have been decided by more than one goal.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

If you win 1-0 then it matters little whether the goal has come in minute one or 90+. However, it can alter the complexion of a game hugely.

Having been left frustrated by teams sitting back, camping men behind the ball and denying space in behind, the one way Rovers can draw themselves out is by getting their noses in front.

This is where the huge point is. Rovers have a superb record when scoring first in games. On the 10 occasions they have done so they have won nine and drawn one, that being the 2-2 at Brentford, arguably their most impressive result of the season given they spent over an hour with 10 men. An impressive 28/30 points.

Rovers would make their lives much easier if they can score first, and do so earlier, which would allow them to draw the opposition out, and as they have proven, they can exploit open spaces as  good as anyone.

Look at Rovers’ win at Birmingham City. Their best spell of the match came in the opening quarter and they had a goal to show for it, Adam Armstrong scoring after 10 minutes. They couldn’t regain their fluency thereafter, but had an advantage for which to hold on to, and hit the Blues on the counter-attack to wrap the game up in the closing stages.

And then we come to the substitutions which are now playing an even more vital role on the game with five allowed. No team in the Championship has scored more than Rovers’ eight off the bench, and Mowbray deserves credit for the bravery of his substitutions at the Riverside, even when Rovers had just taken the lead.

The final quarter they were comfortably the better team and had Armstrong been more clinical, they could have left 3-0 winners.

Maybe the plan was to keep it tight, having gone with three defensive-minded midfielders, up until the hour and then throw on the likes of Bradley Dack and look to punish Boro in the closing stages.

While Mowbray is keen for Rovers to have control of matches, dominate possession, they have often looked at their most threatening when using the lightning pace of Armstrong and running power of Ben Brereton. Adding Gallagher into the mix, and Tyrhys Dolan who has felt a little underused in an impact role despite showing what he can offer at Birmingham, Rovers have movement at the top end of the pitch that can trouble teams.

They demonstrated that to good effect again in the closing stages against Middlesbrough.

Rovers remain the division’s top scorers with 40 from 25 matches, with 62.5 per cent having come in the second half. Only five teams in the division have a higher percentage.

The average time for the opening goal being the 55th minute, with only Cardiff City (57) and Nottingham Forest (63) having a later opening goal average.

Rovers need to make lives easier if they can, and scoring early will certainly do that, allowing the substitutes to come on as 'finishers' rather than 'game-savers'.