BLACKBURN Rovers goalkeeper Jason Steele has urged his team-mates to make their first clean sheet of the year the first of many.

Steele was named man-of-the-match as Rovers recorded their sixth shutout of the season and ended a 12-game run without one by drawing 0-0 at high-flying Bournemouth on Saturday.

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It was the first time the free-scoring Cherries had failed to find the net at the Goldsands Stadium since March.

And Steele, who made two superb saves to deny Marc Pugh and Yann Kermorgant, believes it should give Rovers confidence going into Wednesday’s trip to Hillsborough to take on Sheffield Wednesday.

He said: “Five clean sheets before today is not good enough.

“We all know how hard the league is and how hard it is to keep a clean sheet but we have tried to address that.

“There have been games when we’ve deserved clean sheets and not got them, maybe through a bit of bad luck or a good goal here and there, but we’re delighted to get one and hopefully it will stand us in good stead for Wednesday.

“It’s always nice to make key saves but I’ve been making saves recently and they’ve not come to anything because we haven’t been getting the results.

“It’s been a little bit disheartening so it’s nice to come away from home to one of the best teams in the league and get a clean sheet.

“And I must say the lads in front of me were absolutely fantastic. To a man they worked ever so hard and I’m really pleased for everyone involved to get a clean sheet.”

The Rovers defence was put together at the last minute after captain Grant Hanley sustained a leg injury in training on Friday morning.

And Steele said: “The two boys who played centre-half (Matt Kilgallon and Alex Baptiste) were fantastic, young Adam Henley was brilliant at right-back and Markus Olsson has been consistently fantastic at left-back.

“But a clean sheet starts up front and Rudy Gestede ran his socks off all game.

“I think it’s only what we deserved as recently we haven’t been getting the little bounces and ricochets here and there.

“If you look at some of the results we’ve had, like at Watford, where we should have won comfortably but they won it with a goal that went in off the post after I got on a touch to it. On another day, it hits the post and comes out.

“We haven’t been getting that little bit of luck but when Bournemouth hit the bar, hopefully that’s the start of it for us, and now we can push on for the next 10-12 games.”

Skipper Hanley is a doubt for Wednesday’s clash with the Owls and, with Shane Duffy and Jason Lowe sidelined for the season, Rovers boss Gary Bowyer may have to look to bring in defensive cover.

But, with uncertainly over how long Josh King’s hamstring injury will rule him out for, Bowyer’s priority remains another attacker with pace.

Bowyer can currently make one signing, either on loan or on a free transfer, under the terms of the club’s embargo for failing Financial Fair Play.

But that number will increase if Rovers can move on players who are no longer in his plans.