Captain Ebou Adams says the performance that secured Derby County a point against Championship high-fliers Burnley is their template for survival.
Tuesday’s goalless draw against a Clarets side that started the night top of the table was enough to keep the Rams out of the relegation places on goal difference with five matches remaining.
For Derby it was hard-earned point claimed just three days after they had a four-match winning run ended by an inconsistent Swansea City side that had gone three matches without a victory.
“Sometimes you come away frustrated because you do that on Saturday and then come Tuesday you go toe-to-toe with the team at the top of the table,” Adams told BBC Radio Derby.
“Sometimes it can be a bit annoying. It shows that we can do it, but we have to keep consistent.
“We are showing the standard and we have to keep it up. If we keep doing what we are doing, then I’ll think we will be OK.”
It took a excellent save from Derby’s Jacob Widdell Zetterstrom to prevent Zian Flemming from breaking the deadlock in the first half, while Jerry Yates forced Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford into an equally decisive intervention at the other end before the break.
And it was the lowly Rams who had the best chance to snatch all three points in stoppage time at the end of a drab second half, but Matt Clarke was unable to leap high enough to direct his header from a Kayden Jackson cross home from two yards out.
The point proved enough to keep the Rams above Cardiff City on goal difference after the Welsh side drew 2-2 with Preston North End, while Luton Town remain two points back after they shared the spoils with Stoke City on Tuesday.
“We can’t really look at other teams,” Adams said.
“It’s not enough to say that we are out of the relegation spots on goal difference, we still have to go out and win games. The only positive that we can take on being out [of the bottom three] on goal difference is that it’s in our hands.
“It’s up to us to keep winning games.”
Derby next travel to Portsmouth, a side that are three points and four places above them in the table going into their trip to Coventry on Wednesday.
