Eradicate the errors says Dickov

Rovers have largely possessed a solid sheen since the end of October, but have shown a few aberrations in the past month, conceding three goals apiece in back-to-back defeats to Bristol City and Port Vale, while being breached twice in games against Chesterfield and Walsall.

Dickov says it is not his side’s overall defending that is blotting the copybook, more isolated and in some cases inexplicable errors and he says that needs to stop in order for Rovers to build on their largely solid form since late autumn which has pushed them into firm play-off contention.

Dickov, who will assess James Coppinger ahead of Saturday’s League One home game with Colchester - with the game perhaps coming too soon for the veteran midfielder - said: “We have conceded six goals in the past two games and at the risk of sounding really stupid, we have defended for the majority of the games really well.

“But individual errors have led to all six goals, which we have (previously) cut out.

“We have got to make sure we eradicate that to give ourselves chances in games.

“But for me, a good pointer is at the end of games when fans react to a defeat. Our fans appaluded the players off the other night (against Bristol City).

“Nobody is happy getting beaten, but I think they realised that in the second half, the players went out there and gave Bristol City a right good game.

“There’s been plenty of times when we have been booed off at the end of games and rightly so; I’ll take that.

“But I think the fans realised that we gave the best team in the division a proper game.”