While successive victories have reignited Town’s play-off challenge, back-to-back clean sheets have also provided a timely boost.

Skipper Luke Chambers has heaped praise on goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski for his part in the shut-outs against Huddersfield and Nottingham Forest, taking the Pole’s tally this season to three after he also kept out Burnley in Town’s 2-0 win at Portman Road, the game that proved to be his last league outing until he regained his first-team place last month following injury to Dean Gerken.

Chambers said: “The clean sheets are great but it could easily have been a different story. There’s no point denying Huddersfield and Nottingham Forest had a lot of chances against us — but Bart’s been there when he’s needed to be and rightly got the Player of the Month award.

“He’s had to wait his turn with Gerks doing so well for us before he got injured but he’s come in and grabbed his opportunity with both hands, so fair play to him.

“Since the gaffer took charge we’ve always approached games trying to be difficult to beat and not concede goals but this season there’s no denying we’ve conceded way too many.

“I wish I knew what it was down to because as a defender it’s my job to help keep them out. I’ve been trying to help going forward and improve my game, things like creating goals and getting on the end of things, but first and foremost we need to keep more clean sheets.

“Having done that in our last two games it will give us a lot of belief going forward to the final 12 games of the season. We’re looking forward to being that solid defensive unit we were last season for the next few games.”

After tonight’s trip to rock-bottom Bolton the Town squad head for play-off rivals Cardiff at the weekend, which will see them clock up around 1,000 miles in a few days in their quest to end the current campaign in a top-six place.

Chambers added: “The long road trips can be a bit boring but let’s get it right — we are well looked after. The travel we have is first class and we go on a bus that has loads of space.

“We’ve got televisions on there so we can’t complain too much. It is a long way to go but that’s about where we are located in the country and we’ve got to deal with it.

“There are plenty of ways to kill time on the bus. Films, books, TV series, the lads are always talking about it, but we also have a card school. Of course, nothing crazy, as you might imagine.

“We try to keep it nice and friendly because we don’t want any fall-outs the day before a game, which can happen when you someone a couple of hundred quid.

“We’re looking forward to going up to Bolton. They are obviously having a tough season and we are going to try to make it even tougher for them. At the end of the day we’ve got stuff to fight for, just as they have for a different reason.”

Prior to their departure for Lancashire yesterday the players paid a visit to a mobile cryotherapy chamber that has visited the training ground on a fairly regular basis in recent years.

The treatment sees the players exposed to extremely dry cold air — below minus 100 degrees — for between two and four minutes to aid muscle relaxation.

Chambers said: “We had a session on Monday morning and hopefully that will give us an extra 10 per cent in terms of recovery and a boost towards the game. But we’re looked after very, very well and we’ve got a squad who the gaffer trusts totally.

“If he chooses to make changes over the next couple of games that is down to him but the players are all backing each other.

“We’re also looking forward to spending a bit of time together and hopefully getting six points. That would be ideal and I was sitting at home the other night thinking that there’s no reason we can’t continue this run of wins. We won’t be going to Bolton expecting to win but we see it as a great opportunity.

“We’re riding a bit of a wave at the minute and we’ll be going up there full of confidence. Once we’ve taken care of Bolton we’ve got a massive game on Saturday at Cardiff because we’re both chasing the same prize.

“That’s another opportunity to give them a run for their money and see who comes out on top. Having looked at our remaining fixtures I think we’ve got a very good run-in and I would say it is still in our hands to make the play-offs.”

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