Dominic Samuel endured a frustrating afternoon in Rovers’ defeat at Charlton but was looking at the bigger picture with promotion already sealed.

Rovers lost for just the second time since October after Jason Pearce’s fortuitous goal handed the hosts a 1-0 victory at The Valley.

Samuel led the line in a much changed Rovers side and twice went close to scoring in the second half, including a header which hit the underside of the crossbar.

Rovers had already secured their place in the top two and still have an outside chance of lifting the title going in to the final game against Oxford on Saturday. 

And Samuel admits that shouldn’t be overlooked despite the disappointment of slipping to just a sixth defeat of the season.

He said: “The main thing is the work that we have done over the season has paid off.

“We were unlucky that we didn’t win but it’s still a confident dressing room and there’s one game left to play.

“It’s brilliant what the boys have done as a squad overall so the main thing to do is to keep our heads high and remember what we have done this year.

“Last game of the season against Oxford next week, there will be a few more fans there and hopefully we can finish the season strongly.” 

Samuel had the best Rovers chances of the afternoon but his luck was out as his run without a goal stretched in to a fifth month.

The 24-year-old netted four times in his first six appearances after joining for £500,000 but goes in to the final game of the season with eight to his name in all competitions.

That could have been nine, only to be denied by the crossbar, while Charlton goalkeeper Ben Amos made a fine save shortly afterwards to deny him.

And Samuel added: “I was about to celebrate. But when it hit the bar I thought it was going to be one of those games.

“Credit to Charlton, but it was one of those days for us when we had a few chances, kept going, but they just weren’t going in.”

He was also in the thick of the action in the first-half, feeling he was fouled when clean through on goal after going down under pressure from Ezri Konsa.

Referee Robert Jones was unmoved and waved away the appeals as well as Samuel’s protestations as the players left the field at half-time.

The Rovers striker added: “As the defender dragged me down there was no chance that he got the ball, I can say that for a fact.”

It was just a third game this calendar year in which Samuel has started in his preferred central striker role.

Danny Graham, who has 17 goals this season, has been Tony Mowbray’s preferred option, with Samuel largely used off the bench and in the wide areas.

But Samuel says the camaraderie in the dressing room means the players are always supportive of each other, whether they are playing or not.

“That’s football at the end of the day, particularly with the players we’ve got and the strikers we’ve got,” the former Reading man said. 

“You have got to be patient and if one of your team-mates is in form then you have to be patient.

“You can’t be thinking negatively, you have to be positive because at the end of the day it’s a team sport and we’re all team-mates, and more than team-mates.

“We’re where we are today because we have stuck together as a team and if we hadn’t then we wouldn’t be promoted.”