The Northern Ireland boss spent the game in the dugout Rovers claimed their first away win since November. A brace from Mathias Jorgensen and a Ryoya Morishita header secured three points, lifting them out of the bottom three.

It was the perfect start for O’Neill, who came to speak to the media afterwards. Despite that, he was quick to praise interim Damien Johnson for the preparations, having only arrived in Lancashire at 11am on Friday morning.

He was most impressed with the resilience Rovers showed. Having started well and gone ahead, they could’ve crumbled after conceding and two big refereeing decisions going against them.

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“It was a great result for us, a difficult place to come,” O’Neill said.

“I only arrived in the building yesterday at 11am so the work was done by Damien Johnson all week, so he prepared the team, did a fantastic job.

“We talked through one or two other things between training yesterday and obviously the hotel last night and we got a great response from the players. I suppose their desire to make sure they won the game I think was the biggest thing.

“We went ahead which was great, obviously to be pegged back but the reaction to going level was good because I would imagine without knowing that the team have maybe been in front in games this season and the game has slipped away.

“So when that’s in your head and you’ve been living that throughout the season, it’s important then to turn the tide your way and I thought we did that.

“I said to the players before the game that only they can change the picture that they’ve had this season and I thought the performance merited the three points and obviously the delight of them.

“I haven’t even looked at the table yet but it’s a positive step. But you can also step backwards as well so we have to make sure that we take another positive step next week on Friday night against Preston.”

Blackburn Rovers head coach, Michael O’Neill. (Image: PA)

O’Neill was undecided as to whether to be on the touchline or sit in the stands. However, having travelled with the team and consoluted his coaching team, it was decided his presence on the bench could help give the team a boost.

“I think once you’re in and around the players and just the whole point of you travel,” O’Neill said.

“We came on the train yesterday and the hotel. We went through the staff with the meetings and everything.

“You’re very, very involved at that point. It was a conversation I had with Damien Johnson and I said, what do you think it should be? He said, I think it would really benefit for the team if I was in the dugout.

“I took guidance from him on that. As I say, it’s nice to be here and to take some credit but the credit really lies for him because he prepared the team and picked the team.”

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