BLACKBURN Rovers boss Gary Bowyer believes a goal in tomorrow’s Ewood Park clash with Ipswich Town would kick start winger Ben Marshall’s season.

Key man Marshall scored seven times and made as many assists in 2014-15 but 10 games into the current campaign he is still waiting to open his account or set up his first goal.

Bowyer has hinted that the speculation that surrounded his future in the summer has played on his mind.

However with the window now closed he has saw signs in recent weeks that Marshall is edging his way back to his best form.

But he admits that getting his name on the scoresheet tomorrow would do wonders for his confidence.

Bowyer said: “The workrate is certainly there from him but people will judge him by his assists and his goals because he made such a massive contribution with them last season.

“There was speculation through this summer, which sometimes can be unsettling, but that’s closed now and he’s got to start concentrating on those areas.

“And the pleasing thing for us is that he’s starting to show signs of that. He had a couple of good opportunities at Hull last Saturday, when he just snatched at one or two.

“He’s probably another one who a goal would give him that little bit of confidence on top of the way the whole team is playing at the moment.

“It’s not just him, though. We’ve got a striker in Jordan Rhodes who is in fantastic form and we are creating several chances for him.

“But we’ve only spoke this morning of the need for others to contribute.”

Marshall was linked with a return to Sheffield Wednesday in the summer and he was also the subject of an enquiry from Brighton & Hove Albion.

And when asked how much of an effect it had, Bowyer said: “It’s human nature. Anybody who gets linked, it has that effect.

“And anybody who says it doesn’t affect them, I don’t believe that. They are human beings and it is very difficult to ignore it.”

Rovers will go into tomorrow’s visit of Ipswich on the back of a mini three-match unbeaten run but they remain just one point above the bottom three after winning only one of their opening nine Championship fixtures.

Bowyer said: “I know we have not won enough games, for sure, but it’s settling down, no-one is running away with it just yet, everybody can beat everybody in the Championship, and it’s about putting a run together and getting some momentum.

“We’ve got some momentum in our performances, for sure, and we’ve just started to pick up a bit of momentum with our results, and we’ve got to keep that up on Saturday.”