TONY Mowbray may not be aware of the Rovers motto, Arte Et Labore, or its translation of ‘by skill and labour’.

Instead, the head coach has referred to a football team as needing both soldiers and artists - those willing to graft and put in the hard yards, and those who can get the fans off their seats.

He may not yet have the right balance to play the football he desires, but having been dealt the cards he has, Mowbray has shuffled them several times and appears to have settled on a formula by which Rovers will look to grind out results in a bid to ensure safety.

At times it hasn’t been pretty, but always nervy, as Rovers kept alive their hopes of avoiding the drop by earning a crucial 1-0 home win over Aston Villa.

It was their fourth 1-0 win under Mowbray, a third at Ewood Park, and most likely the blueprint they will look to follow on the final day at Brentford.

To ensure they would guarantee a stab at avoiding the Championship trap door on the final day, Rovers knew they must secure three points in front of the biggest home league crowd of the season.

They did it by sticking to the gameplan set out by the head coach, but by remaining positive, striking a much better balance between keeping things tight and not being overly cautious by starting on the front foot.

Rovers had clearly targeted Sam Gallagher up against Neil Taylor as a source of likely joy, with Charlie Mulgrew in particular sending no end of long diagonal balls towards the Southampton loanee.

That brought about an early chance for Ryan Nyambe, who had an even better opening eight minutes before the break, only to find the gloves of Sam Johnstone, rather than the back of the net.

The ambition of Nyambe, as well as left wing-back Derrick Williams, who dragged a 20th minute effort wide of the target, showed that Rovers were looking to be more positive.

Mulgrew’s left-foot was also causing a danger from set plays, as Darragh Lenihan saw an effort deflected wide, while Elliott Ward couldn’t sort his feet out to turn the ball in at the far post after being found by another inswinging corner.

Villa came in to the game as the lowest scorers away from home in the division, but Rovers always had to be wary of a strikeforce which, in the form of Jonathan Kodjia and Scott Hogan, cost them in the region of £30million.

David Raya saved smartly from Kodjia just after the half hour mark, before getting down well to deal with a Henri Lansbury free-kick moments later.

But it was Rovers’ joint top scorer who would fluff his lines at the vital moment, with Danny Graham failing to connect with his left foot volley after Gallagher’s nod-down from another Mulgrew cross-field ball found him unmarked.

When Rovers needed Graham most though, the 31-year-old would take his tally to 13, with arguably the most precious of his collection in Rovers colours.  Jason Lowe pounced on a loose ball in midfield before teeing up the striker who rolled the ball confidently passed Johnstone. It cued elation in the Ewood Park stands and more importantly gave Rovers something to hold on to.

Given the situation, it was hard not to get caught up in the nerves, but in truth, Rovers somewhat eased over the line against a hapless Villa side, helped by their determined work out of possession.

Albert Adomah saw a snap-shot fly well wide, and that was all that Villa could muster in their search for an equaliser.

And so it comes down to the last game. Rovers going in to it locked on 48 points with Nottingham Forest, but one goal worse off, and two behind Birmingham City.

It promises to be a nervy final day, which is all Rovers could have asked going in to this.

And whether it is down to skill, hard work, a combination of the two, or indeed a huge slice of lady luck, they will take pulling off their great escape however it were to come about.