Ben Whiteman felt Rovers were fully deserving of their 2-1 win against Oldham Athletic in the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup.
Whiteman’s double, including a last-minute penalty, saw Rovers progress through to the fifth round of the competition for the first time since 1956, and the midfielder believes the side showed their quality in the latter stages.
“It was a really great team performance out there, it was a proper cup tie, we knew they’d come on strong in the second half and they did just that, but we got that bit of luck with both goals and we really deserved to get the win,” he said.
“We’ve probably been one of the best teams in the league this season, and I think we managed to show that in the game here too, we weren’t at our best in the first half, but we really took it to them after the break and got our reward.
“This result could be a real springboard for us, we’ve been on the wrong side of some late goals recently, especially the last two games in the league, but hopefully with a late goal of our own we can kick on again.”
Saturday’s win over the Latics saw an attendance of 11,260 at the Keepmoat Stadium, with Whiteman feeling that the Rovers fans really helped him and his teammates over the line, and the match-winner is keen to see them rewarded for their support.
“The fans turning out like can make a massive difference for us, they probably don’t realise just how much it helps when the atmosphere is like that. They were a factor in us getting it over the line, and hopefully we can be rewarded with a great draw,” he added.
“I want Manchester United away in the next round now, I’m a big United fan, as are all of my family as well, and I played for them when I was younger as well, a big tie against anyone would be nice, but to play at Old Trafford would be special.
“I was with United from six-years-old through to being 16. I ended up getting released and then signing for Sheffield United before coming here, so that would be the dream for me to play against them.”