James Hill says there is plenty of belief in the Rovers camp following back-to-back victories in the Championship.

Hill managed to get on the scoresheet against Birmingham, finding a way past John Ruddy from 20 yards.

It was the defender’s first goal since joining on loan from Bournemouth over the summer, and he insists the crowd played their part.

Hill grinned: “Big shout-out to the fans because all I hear was ‘Shoot!’ I didn’t even pick my head up, I just hit it and hoped for the best, Thankfully, it went in.

“Ever since (hitting the woodwork against Coventry), the crowd have been backing me to shoot from distance and thankfully it paid off.

“It was end-to-end at times, I think we made it hard for ourselves at certain points in the game. But overall, another good performance from the boys and I am happy to contribute to that.

“I would have liked it a bit more plain sailing because they did make a comeback at one point, but we did well and showed maturity to see it out and get another goal.”

Rovers had to deal with pressure from the visitors at times, and the 21-year-old was encouraged by their defensive resilience.

“Everyone gets a bit nervy, but then it is our job to settle it down,” he said. “That is where it takes real leaders in the team.

“We have got a lot of leaders, and I tried to help settle the team and make sure we are all calm.

“We stuck together and got through it, and it showed at the end when we got that goal that we can weather the storm in these situations.

“It is about belief. The team believes in everything we are doing at the moment. We all buy into what the gaffer is saying and it is showing on matchdays.

“We are being more consistent, defensively and in attack. We are starting to see the goals being converted and we are starting to keep clean sheets as well.

“I think it was a massive three points for the boys to show that we can weather these storms and be a team in the top half of the table.”

Jon Dahl Tomasson’s men have taken maximum points since returning from the international break, providing the perfect response to their late heartbreak against Preston North End.

“We have had good results so far but we can’t get ahead of ourselves,” Hill continued. “It is only the beginning and this is one of the toughest periods of the season, we all know that.

“We have got to make sure that we  keep this consistency, take every game as it comes and keep putting in good performances. Hopefully, we will get good results.”

Next up is a trip to Hillsborough to take on Sheffield Wednesday, who find themselves at the foot of the table after a tough start to life back in the second tier.

Skipper Lewis Travis will miss the game through suspension, but Hill is confident the rest of the squad can step up in his absence.

“The group is full of leaders, you are starting to see that throughout these games where we can sit in a low block and defend really well,” he explained.

“We have to keep that going as a team. We know what it takes to get into the top half of the table and we want to stay there.

“We all know it is going to take leaders to pull us through this time and I think we are doing well as a group to do that, and it has shown in recent performances.”

Heading out on loan can be difficult for young players, but Hill has already made a positive impact in East Lancashire.

The 19-year-old has made 12 appearances for Rovers so far, becoming an important member of Tomasson’s squad.

Hill says he has already gained a lot from the experience and is determined to keep improving his game heading into the busy December period.

“I think I made the perfect choice, coming here. I have learnt so much and there is so much I have added to my game while playing here,” he stated.

“Hopefully, the progression in my game carries on and I can continue to learn. That is all I want to do, keep learning.

“It has been massively beneficial to my game and hopefully we can keep working hard every day in training to get to that next level.”