Dickov is desperate to end meagre away haul

Back-to-back Championship wins for the first time this season, against Watford and Huddersfield, have provided Rovers with some relegation respite, while providing a timely boost after a worrying 5-0 loss at Bournemouth on March 1.

Despite the dual fillip, Dickov is refusing to get carried away and is conscious that work needs to be done to improve Doncaster’s statistics on the road.

You have to go back to September 28 for Rovers’ only away win in 17 league matches so far in 2013-14, a 1-0 derby victory at Sheffield Wednesday.

In 13 away matches since, they have picked up just three points from a possible 39, and their only point on the road in six matches so far in 2014 came in a 1-1 draw at Blackpool in January.

Dickov said: “Back-to-back wins was very important, knowing the position we were in last Saturday.

“We go into the Forest game with a lot of confidence and it gives us a bit of breathing space as well. But if you lose a couple of games you can get sucked right back into it and we were very wary of that.

“We know we have got to start sorting our away form out because that is something that has not been good enough.”

While Billy Sharp was afforded the headlines on Tuesday night with his last-gasp winner against Watford, Dickov has earmarked praise for the adaptable skills of club stalwart James Coppinger, who filled in impressively at right-back.

Coppinger had a spell on loan at Forest last term with Sharp.

Dickov said: “We knew with his know-how tactically and energy that he’d slot in there. I thought he was great.”