BLACKBURN Rovers boss Gary Bowyer praised his side’s resolve after they kept their first clean sheet of the year by becoming the first team to stop title-challenging Bournemouth from scoring at home this season.

The Cherries went into yesterday Goldsands Stadium clash as the leading goalscorers in the Championship but they could find no way through resolute Rovers who went close to recording their first away league win since October through Tom Cairney and Rudy Gestede.

“I think it was the very least we deserved,” said Bowyer after the 0-0 draw.

“We had two great opportunities at the death where we could have won it with TC’s shot and Rudy’s header.

“That said tactically the players were magnificent, they were spot-on with it.

“Steely (Jason Steele) has made a couple of very good saves and I thought the two centre-halves were tremendous for us but it was a great team effort.

“I think we are the first team that have come here and stopped Bournemouth scoring a goal so  that’s enormous credit to our players.

“We took a bit of flak in the week but you’ve just seen how strong these players are mentally.

“They just ignore it all, carry on with what they’re doing, and to come to a difficult place like this, and come away with a clean sheet, I’ve got nothing but praise for them.”

Bowyer paid particular tribute to stand-in skipper Matt Kilgallon and Alex Baptiste.

Shane Duffy was ruled out for the season on Friday after hurting his knee in training.

And on the same day captain Grant Hanley picked up a leg injury that meant Baptiste was moved to partner Kilgallon in the centre of defence with Adam Henley coming in at right-back.

“We had a tough time Thursday and Friday as we lost Shane Duffy, who’s had an operation and is out for the season, and then Grant Hanley picked up an injury in training and he might be missing for a couple of days if not more,” said Bowyer, who was also without Jason Lowe and Josh King.

“So for the two of them to be put together on mid-Friday morning, and perform the way they did, was excellent.”

Rovers slipped to 11th as a result of their 10th straight away league game without a win but it did move them one point closer to the play-offs, with the gap to sixth-placed Norwich City now standing at 14.

And, while the draw stretched fourth-placed Bournemouth’s winless run to five matches, it did move them within three points of the automatic promotion places.

“It was very frustrating,” said Cherries assistant manager Jason Tindall, whose side had 58 per cent of the ball in the second half after a 50-50 split before the break.

“It is another frustrating game where we have dominated possession but have not taken the opportunities that we have created and their keeper was in fantastic form with two world-class saves.

“It’s five games since we’ve won now but we could have quite easily have won all of those games but from our point of view, our performances have still been good.

“You have to stay positive and we find ourselves in a fantastic position, we’re only three points off the automatic promotion spots.

“If we can continue to create those opportunities then we will get our rewards.”