The Blackburn Rovers number one produced an inspired performance at Ashton Gate, helping them to a 1-0 win after Dapo Afolayan’s strike.
Two of the stops were particularly standout, denying headers from Dom Ballard and George Tanner. He also kept out Elijah Adebayo in stoppage time, ensuring Rovers won their first away game of the league season.
Mowbray admitted the hosts could ‘feel hard done by’ to not get anything but was pleased with the way his side ground out the win.
“It’s a fantastic result for us,” the Rovers boss reflected.
“It was a different type of performance required to get that result tonight. I think we played some amazing football at the weekend against Cardiff, particularly in the first half.
I give credit to them for nullifying us on the ball tonight. I don’t know where their manager’s been in here but they’ll obviously feel pretty hard done by. But there’s more than one way to skin a cat is an old saying.
“I think you have to, at times, be resilient and put your body on the line and block shots and crosses. You need a goalkeeper who can make the saves he’s made tonight.
“Then Afolayan does what he’s been doing all season from nowhere, really, outside the box, he whacks one in.
“Then backs to the wall, got the job done. They’ll feel hard done by but we came and made life difficult for them.
“It’s not necessarily how we like to do it but you have to find ways to win football matches.
“That was our way tonight, put five at the back; I never play five at the back. Yet the data is suggesting they score a lot of free kicks or a lot of set plays, should I say.
“I thought the extra defender would be a benefit to us. It took away some of our fluency with the ball and our ability to break up the pitch and make it more of a football match rather than a defend-your-goal game.
“We held on for the three points.”
Toth’s heroics earned praise from the Rovers boss, who isn’t always easily impressed!
“I always say the goalie has his job, that’s what he has to do,” Mowbray said.
“He’s in the sticks because he’s got his gloves on to keep the ball out of the net but there were amazing saves.
“I was behind two of them and they looked as if they were flying in the top corner and he pushed his arm out and poked it away.
“I mean, literally his fingertips just diverted him a few inches past the post a couple of times. So a brilliant performance from the goalie.
“I’d have to say you could look at them all, all the back line, making blocks, making tackles, putting their head in the way.
“That’s what they’re there for, that’s what their job is: to keep clean sheets and we haven’t kept enough of them really this season.”