The 3-0 win over Stoke was the team's first in 12 league matches stretching back to September 27, and the breakthrough can partly be credited to the arrival of Sam Allardyce last week.

And Roberts admits the squad have to ensure the 'new manager effect' continues as they try to fight their way out of the relegation zone.

"He (Allardyce) hasn't been here that long but we've worked on the organisation and philosophy of the team and I think the Stoke result showed a little bit of that," he told PA Sport.

"We were happy not only with the win and the goals, but the manner of the performance.

"We put a shift in. People might look at that and say why didn't we do that in the past (for former boss Paul Ince) but that is football sometimes.

"It (one win) is not going to be good enough. We need to make sure this continues.

"It can't be a case of the new manager coming in and us performing for one game, we need to do it for the whole time he is here.

"The result gives us the belief that we have got a monkey off our back because we hadn't won for a long time.

"It doesn't change the world. We have to go out and perform again on Friday (against Sunderland) and we know we have to go and do better.

"I'm sure we will all endeavour to do that. We have worked hard the last couple of days and I'm sure we will be working even harder in the future.

"I won't take anything for granted and will be working hard to ensure I keep my place."

Roberts, who scored Blackburn's second against Stoke either side of two goals for Benni McCarthy, also paid tribute to the players behind them for keeping a first clean sheet in 10 matches.

"We all worked hard for that clean sheet and that is where the credit has to go," he added.

"We looked like a proper team. We have to make sure we put that kind of performance into every game, win, lose or draw."

Allardyce also knows one win will not turn around the club's season as they are still in 19th place in the Barclays Premier League, two points from safety.

But he accepts it was a significant breakthrough.

"Only results instil confidence in the players so that is a good start in the first game, but it is only an early Christmas present for us," he said.

"There is a long way to go now. There are so many clubs involved (in the relegation battle) that if you can put one or two victories together that is what you are looking to do.

"I think the biggest total for a few years is going to be needed this year [to survive]. My job now is to set the standard and try to go above that.

"I want to use my experience and my abilities to try to help this club be as successful as it possibly can."