Continuity may just be king for Rovers.

Tony Mowbray named the same side for the third game in a row for this victory – the first time he’s done that since January.

It resulted in a fourth straight win, even if this Derby date on a drab December day was far from a classic.

Of course they don’t all have to be, as the manager rightly pointed out post-match, sides on good runs and those challenging for honours more often than not pick up their fair share of forgettable 1-0 wins.

And that was what Ewood Park got, a game low on quality settled by the game’s one true highlight, a fine Adam Armstrong strike just before the hour mark ultimately the difference between the two sides.

What this was, was a performance built on a disciplined, hard-working shift as Rovers struggled to hit top gear in the final third.

The truth was they didn’t need to. Derby were as poor as their away record suggests, this a fifth straight defeat on the road without scoring for Phillip Cocu’s men.

Christian Walton had nothing to do in the home goal until denying Jack Marriott late on to make sure of the three points, the Ewood crowd enduring an edgier finale than they should have done before their side chalked up a fourth win in a row on home soil, something they haven’t done since March 2016.

It was a day for the unsung heroes and what Mowbray’s lack of tinkering in recent games has done, is help build partnerships.

The impact of Darragh Lenihan’s return has been well documented but it was his right-hand man Tosin Adarabioyo that led the way here with a performance that mixed both the luxury and the more rudimentary sides of his game.

His passing range was to the fore before the break and then as Rovers looked to make sure they got over the line there were timely interceptions aplenty from the Manchester City loanee.

In front of the central defensive duo, the Corry Evans-Lewis Travis axis in the middle of the park looks like it will take some shifting.

Their 13 games as a pair have now resulted in 10 victories, with just two defeats and one draw.

They covered plenty of ground once again with their tireless work at the heart of this win.

Evans nearly had an assist to his name as early as the third minute, pulling the ball back for Bradley Dack whose effort wasn’t far wide.

After threatening to fly out of the blocks it was a largely flat affair before Dack looked to light up proceedings just before the half hour.

Starting a move with a sublime bit of skill on halfway, he then fed Stewart Downing whose cross found its way back to Rovers’ star man who clipped a shot just over.

Downing was then nearly a provider once again as Danny Graham headed his corner into the side netting.

Travis and Evans make a living out of nicking the ball back in key areas and the former nearly set up a goal with one key intervention on the stroke of half-time, but after winning possession from Krystian Bielek and feeding Armstrong in on goal, Rovers saw the effort saved.

Bielik nearly made amends with Derby’s first real sight of goal the other side of the interval, bending a shot wide from just outside the area that had Walton scrambling.

But the redemption was to be Armstrong’s, a fourth goal of the season meaning that missing the earlier opportunity was not going to be what defined his afternoon.

This time it was Evans who made the opportunity with a fine pass, Armstrong making the most of space 20 yards from goal before firing in a rocket that whizzed past Ben Hamer and in.

Both sides then rung the changes with the hosts looking the more likely to extend their advantage.

But with Dack, Armstrong and a lively Sam Gallagher off the bench all threatening without the ultimate reward, a nervier than necessary finale was to follow.

However it was not until Marriott’s effort which brought a sharp save from Walton, that the Rams looked close to snatching a point they did not deserve on the balance of play.

The reality is that as much as Mowbray would like to roll out the same side again when Rovers head to Swansea on Wednesday night he has tired legs on his mind, namely Graham and Downing, as he plots a route through another three-game week.

Should others be handed a chance they will be tasked with making any transition seamless as Rovers look to continue a run that has taken them to within just two points of the Championship play-offs.