Rovers must earn every point to stay in the play-off hunt in the final 12 games, according to Tony Mowbray.

They have successive home matches against Stoke City tonight and Swansea City on Saturday looking to build on their four point haul from away trips to Charlton and Brentford.

Rovers remain in the top six mix but will likely need to take advantage of back-to-back home matches to show their credentials.

Results on Tuesday night offered an incentive to Rovers, with defeats for Brentford and Preston leaving Rovers still five points shy of the play-offs and know a win would lift them above Bristol City in to seventh. 

However, Mowbray isn’t looking beyond tonight’s game with the Potters, referencing successive draws at Ewood with Wigan and Birmingham over the festive period as an example of how difficult winning matches in the Championship can be.

“I think we have to think back two months with Wigan and Birmingham on the back of an away win at Bristol City and the trip to Swansea,” he said.

“We drew both of those games, so it’s an opportunity for us, that’s all.

“We understand because the league is there to see how hard it is every week, that two home games you can’t think ‘there’s six points’.

“It doesn’t work like that, you have to earn every point you get in this league. Stoke will be fighting for their lives and wanting to keep accumulating points.

“We have to play the game. We’ve generally done okay at home, probably drawn some matches where we would have hoped to have won, but this will be a tight game, Stoke have some good players, an experienced manager who will make life difficult for us, but it’s a game we can win.

“We have to earn it, ask questions of them, be positive, play on the front and doing our best to get the points.”

Mowbray opted against watching last night’s Championship games, knowing Rovers can only affect their own results in the chase for a play-off spot.

The win at Charlton cut the gap to sixth to three points, but despite what looked a good point at promotion-chasing Brentford last month, the gap extended to five after the 2-2 draw.

And Mowbray added: “I suppose it’s a bit frustrating because over the last two games we feel it’s a decent points return from two trips to London but we’ve fallen further away from the play-offs because of the other results which is credit to them that they’re winning football matches.

“We have to respond now and win our matches over the next few weeks and make that gap even tighter as we come in to the real crucial stage of the season and down in to the single figure games. Those are the ones where you really have to try and finish the season strong and show your credentials.

“At the moment we’re trying to stay in that mix, we have a great opportunity this week to show our credentials of being around the top six, and everyone else is in the same competition.”