Doncaster Rovers ready for '˜Christmas rush' '“ Matty Blair

And the midfielder is confident the Keepmoat Stadium club can head into 2019 with plenty to play for in the League One promotion race.

Seventh-placed Rovers begin a series of winnable games at struggling Bristol Rovers tomorrow.

They also face Scunthorpe United, Oxford United, Fleetwood Town and Gillingham before the year is out.

'This period that we're coming into now is the start of the Christmas rush, as such,' said Blair, who is battling it out with Ali Crawford to retain his place at the Memorial Stadium.

'It is when the teams that want it the most will come to the top. The cream always rises to the top as they say.

'This Christmas rush is so important because if you can pick up points in every game you will breakaway from the rest and it's usually when the league splits into two '“ the promotion push and the relegation battle.

'After this period you'll know where you are in the league and what you're going for in the second half of the season.

'You could probably argue that there's no surprises with the current top four,' he added.

'But we still fancy our chances to kick-on.

'If we have a Christmas period that is a really positive one we'll find ourselves right in the mix with them come the middle of January.

'Then you don't know where it can take you. Momentum becomes a really big thing. It's important we keep picking up points.'

Rovers have won four of their last five games following a sequence of six matches without a victory.

'I wouldn't say anything specifically has changed,' said Blair.

'When results weren't going our way the performances were still there.

'And now the results are coming again.

'We always believed they would come.

'The results are now just proving the performances we're putting in.'

Rovers have no fresh injury concerns.

The Gas ended a run of five straight defeats by beating Swansea City U21s in the Checkatrade Trophy on Wednesday night.