DEFENDER Tommy Spurr insists striker Chris Brown should not be judged on his Blackburn Rovers scoring record.

Brown has failed to find the net in eight starts and nine substitute appearances for Rovers since his free transfer summer switch from Doncaster.

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But Spurr is adamant the target man more than makes up for his lack of goals with his work-rate and with his ability to hold up the ball and bring team-mates into play.

“I don’t think there’s many better in this league than Browny for what he does,” said Spurr, who linked up with Brown to help Doncaster win the League One title in 2013.

“Maybe people are focusing on his lack of goals a bit too much.

“Don’t get me wrong, strikers will always get judged on goals, but I know first hand from playing with him at Doncaster and now here what he brings to the team.

“All the lads here do too and they really like playing with him because he works hard, holds the ball up, brings others into play and gets everybody else up the pitch.

“As well as scoring goals, that’s a massive part, and, as I say, he does it better than most in the league.”

Brown admitted before last Saturday’s 1-0 home loss to Brighton and Hove Albion that his drought had been playing on his mind.

“Hopefully it’s just a matter of time,” he said. “Better players than me have gone on longer runs without scoring.

“But when you come to a new club, there’s quite a lot of expectation, and when you don’t get it, it does play on your mind a little bit, that’s natural.

“All I can do is keep working hard for the team when I get an opportunity and hopefully I can show the fans and the staff what I can really do.”

Brown scored nine goals in 43 games on his way to being named Doncaster’s player of the year last season.

But the 30-year-old’s hopes of hitting the ground running at Rovers were scuppered when he sustained a serious knee injury shortly after the start of pre-season that prevented him from making his debut until November 29.

However Rovers boss Gary Bowyer believes Brown’s impressive performances in the wins at Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton this month proved why he can become a ‘big player’ for the club.

Rovers boss Bowyer said: “Sheffield Wednesday spoke about how they couldn’t handle him and I thought his efforts were tremendous again at Charlton. He’s first class and he’s going to be a big player for us.”

Rovers Under 21s resume their Premier League Division Two season tonight when they take on West Brom at the Hawthorns.