DERRICK Williams says the Rovers defence are focused on keeping clean sheets safe in the knowledge that they have the firepower at the top end of the pitch to win matches.

Rovers collected a 13th shut-out of the season in Saturday’s victory over Blackpool and the three goals scored took them to 70 in 37 league matches.

Only League Two side Luton have managed more than Rovers’ haul in the Football League and Williams believes the addition of Newcastle loanee Adam Armstrong has only heightened their attacking threat.

He has seven goals in his last seven matches, while Bradley Dack and Danny Graham have 30 between them this term. No player in the top four divisions has been involved in more goals than Dack in 2018, with six goals and five assists.

Williams said: “We are taking it one game at a time and getting as many clean sheets as we can to help us because we know the top half of the team is very good.

“We know they will always make chances and it’s down to us at the back to keep them (the opposition) out.

“I’m delighted for Arma because he is a good lad and works hard. He’s been that special player we needed to make something out of nothing.

“We all know what we have to do and we all know it’s all about three points.

“We probably didn’t play our best football but we did what we had to do to get three points. 3-0 against Blackpool is a good result.”

Rovers hold a five point advantage at the top of the table but having played their nearest challengers Shrewsbury and Wigan home and away already this season, 25-year-old Williams says Rovers can only affect their own results.

“First of all you concentrate on yourselves but obviously when you come in you have a look at the table and see how they’ve done,” he said of the promotion race.

“Wigan dropped a couple of points (on Saturday) which is important but if they win their games in hand then they still go above us.

“It’s still all to play for and I think it will tight.

“It’s better to have the points on the board than games in hand because there are some tough games out there.”

Rovers have 76 points from their 37 games, meaning they are ahead of Mowbray’s target of two points a game which he set at the start of the season.

However, it will take a much bigger haul than the 82 points with which Bolton achieved automatic promotion with in 2016/17 this time around.

But left-back Williams, an ever present this season, isn’t concerning himself with mathematical equations, simply focussing on helping Rovers to try and win each game.

He added: “We just want to finish above the other two.

“I haven’t thought about a points tally, because you never know how the other two are going to do.

“But I think it will be high scoring points for whoever goes up this year.”