DANNY Guthrie wants to add assists and goals to his hard work as he aims to keep a firm grip on his Rovers starting spot.

The midfielder has lined up alongside Corry Evans for the last three matches, forming a industrious central partnership.

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The pair combined to create Sam Gallagher’s second goal in the win over Nottingham Forest last week, and Guthrie wants more of the same attacking flair as Rovers try to move away from the drop zone.

The former Liverpool man said: “I hope I’ve staked a claim for my place. I’ve been playing well and the team’s been playing well too.

“Me and Corry are just two good footballers who seem to be on the same page.

“We enjoy playing with each other. We both like to work hard as well as being comfortable on the ball.

“We feel we’ve formed a good partnership and can just hopefully turn our performances into wins.

“The two lads who have been playing up front for us have been doing really well, but we probably need to give them a hand in the final third.

“We’ve got two really good wingers, but as midfielders we do have to chip in with assists and goals and that’s something we’re looking to improve on.”

Guthrie says he likes the fact that no player in the Rovers team is assured of a starting spot under Owen Coyle, and knows the likes of Hope Akpan and Jack Byrne are desperate to grab his shirt.

He added: “I’m happy to be in the team and I’m working hard to stay there as there is a lot of competition.

“Everyone should be looking over their shoulder. Especially in the position we’re in, there’s no-one who can rest on their laurels and expect to play every week.

“If you don’t play well, you don’t play the next game and that’s the way every club should be.”

Guthrie described Bristol City’s late winner on Saturday as a ‘sickener’ and insists his team have to cut out the individual errors that are costing them points.

“The late goals have been avoidable,” he admitted.

“The one against Forest, even though we were comfortable and won the game in the end, there were still a few angry people in the dressing room that we conceded.

“If Forest had gone on and got a point out of the game they wouldn’t have deserved it and it would have been our own fault.

“The same again on Saturday where we’ve conceded a late goal and it’s cost us.

“It’s something we need to rectify and it’s the difference at the minute between getting that point and getting that win.”