SCOTT Dann has insisted that Blackburn Rovers must quickly climb back into the Championship’s top six before it’s too late.

A failure to win their last three games has seen Rovers slip to ninth in the table.

Rovers sat sixth after the 4-1 win at Peterborough United, achieved thanks to a hat-trick from Jordan Rhodes.

But Henning Berg’s side have since lost at home to both Millwall and Bolton before being pegged back late on in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with East Lancashire rivals Burnley.

That has now left Rovers four points behind sixth-placed Watford as they prepare for their final five games of 2012.

Rovers host leaders Cardiff on Friday night, in a game that will be shown live on Sky Sports, before a trip to Blackpool and another home match against Brighton.

They travel to Middlesbrough and Barnsley between Christmas and New Year.

And Dann says that the focus must shift back to climbing the table now the big derby match against Burnley has come and gone.

“Obviously there is a lot of hype in those games and we wanted to win for ourselves and the fans,” said the centre back.

“But it was mainly to get the three points and start moving on up the table where we want to be and we think we should be.

“In the next couple of weeks, however we do it, we’re going to have to make sure we get as many points on the board as we can and start moving up the table.”

Both Dann and goalkeeper Paul Robinson impressed in the draw at Turf Moor on Sunday.

And the former Birmingham defender believes Robinson can be an important asset in that sort of form, despite the keeper’s concerns that his place could be under threat as Rovers continue to be linked with a January move for Brad Friedel.

“He made some good saves and had a good game,” Dann said about Robinson’s performance on Sunday.

“On the whole I think we defended really well in the game.

“Obviously if he keeps performing week in week out it’s really good for us.

“And if he keeps performing like that week in week out I don’t think he’ll be going anywhere.”