Football, bloody hell.

Rovers have had big wins in the not too distant past, they’ve performed well on some big stages, but to produce a display of that magnitude, under those circumstances, I can’t recall the like for some time.

Many a top six push has come and gone on the back of not producing in the biggest moments, and under the most intense pressure of must-win games and derby days, they have been found wanting all too often.

It has always felt a mentality, rather than quality, issue that has let them down when it has mattered most.

I simply didn’t think they had that performance in them, to be so disciplined, concentrated and focused for 90+ minutes against a team with their own aspirations to meet, and unbeaten on their own patch all season.

They displayed remarkable resilience to respond in the face of what seemed to be such a damaging defeat which plunged them further into trouble.

John Eustace, I tip my cap to you after that.

A little over 60 hours separated the two games, but the performances and application were night and day.

Having watched Plymouth defeat Leicester City in one huge Championship upset on Friday night, and with fears over the Sheffield Wednesday game for reasons alluded to above, I really did begin to fear for Rovers.

That was heightened by not just the manner of the defeat at Bristol City, but that the goal difference, which had acted as something of a buffer, being damaged to such an extent on what was a humiliating, and potentially disastrous, five-goal hiding against the ultimate mid-table Championship team in Bristol City.

Yet that was sandwiched inbetween a hard fought, and deserved, point against one promotion chaser, and then a huge victory on the road against another.

In the week in which the club published its accounts for the year to June 2023, Sky Sports and the EFL struck up yet another multi-million pound deal which further emphasised the importance of those battling for the honour to retain their Championship status. The very fact Steve Waggott mentioned such a scenario at the start of a season whereby no-one would likely have contemplated the fact that Rovers would be dragged into such trouble after finishing seventh only weeks earlier demonstrated as much.

That was a statement that Jon Dahl Tomasson made countless references to when assessing the club’s expectations and ambitions for this season. Maybe realism, maybe lacking in ambition, but it is imperative that Rovers don’t fall through the trap door.

Watching the scores come in (after finally being able to come out from behind the sofa) from the 3pm kick-offs showed the job isn’t done yet, in the same way it wasn’t after the 5–1 win at Sunderland at the start of the month. But it is now within touching distance.

I’ve wanted to see the back of this season for some time, but the win at Leeds was a remember of the great moments that you can still enjoy in the depths of what has been a few forgettable months. The scenes at the final whistle were a timely reminder of what it means, and full credit must go to the travelling fans, many who will have done so with trepidation on the back of the Bristol battering.

Yet Rovers stood tall, defended for their lives, battle for every ball, and could possibly attest to still having the better chances in a game where their ambition was limited.

Hayden Carter’s extra mobility, alongside his defensive quality, was a welcome addition to the backline, while after being anywhere but central midfield in midweek, Joe Rankin-Costello proved to be an able partner for Sondre Tronstad in the middle of the park.

The goal was beautifully crafted, and finished off by the man-of-the-moment who deserves every accolade thrown at him, and if he’s not named Championship player at Sunday night’s EFL awards then it will be a travesty.

I will still attest to the fact that I still have reservations about the long-term plan for Rovers under John Eustace, but a bigger part of me questions that focusing on the job of the man in the dugout when it comes to the club’s aspirations and future direction means you are looking in the wrong direction.

What is clear though, in public at least, he always backs his players, and that seems to be appreciated based upon the comments of the squad since his appointment. The timing of his appointment was clearly during a tumultuous period, when question marks hung over the head of director of Gregg Broughton who would otherwise have led the search for Jon Dahl Tomasson’s successor.

Instead, it was seemingly that of chief executive Steve Waggott who clearly felt time was of the essence, and saw Eustace as the man to get Rovers back on an even keel after the rollercoaster it had been under Tomasson, both on and off the pitch.

Maybe Broughton would have preferred a more measured search for a head coach, a chance to potentially look overseas once again, but it was the more tried and tested Championship knowledge and experience where the club turned.

That is now simply conjecture.

Irrespective of the outcome of this season, Eustace would have had the opportunity to mould the team how he wanted going forwards, and I have more confidence now that will be as a Championship club once again.

Eustace will point to two wins from five since the international break, where he had two weeks to work with the majority of the squad for an extended period for the first time, and hope pre-season will further strengthen his grip on the squad.

Before then, he has three games to ensure Rovers’ hold of their Championship status becomes a firm one.