GORDON Greer is confident the longed-for clean sheets will come for Blackburn Rovers as his centre-back partnership with Tommie Hoban continues to grow.

Rovers will go into Saturday’s home clash with misfiring Ipswich Town having failed to achieve a shutout in any of their 14 matches so far this season.

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But Greer said: “As a defender you want shutouts and you’re judged on that.

“But I can tell you we’re doing everything we can to try and keep clean sheets. We feel we’ve been tighter and when we have lost we’ve not had many attempts at our goal. Sometimes in football that’s how it goes.

“But you’ve just got to keep working hard at it and move on to the next game.

“Tommie has come in and done well. Our relationship is building.

“It’s not easy at times when you’re playing with different people but we’re getting there.

“We’re always talking and looking at different clips. We’re doing everything we can to keep as many clean sheets as possible.

“Hopefully we’ll get our first one soon.”

After coming on for the injured Elliott Ward in the opening day drubbing by Norwich City, Greer played alongside Shane Duffy, Scott Wharton and, for the last seven league matches, fellow summer signing Hoban at the heart of the Rovers defence.

And the Scotland international said: “At the start of the season there was a lot of speculation surrounding players and once that was put to bed and the transfer window closed we’ve been able to focus fully on the squad that’s here.

“Performances have definitely improved and keeping a steady team on the field helps build relationships.

“We’ve got a great squad here of players who aren’t playing as well and it’s up to all of us to pull together and help get us up this league.”

Greer made only one appearance for Rovers in his first spell at the club at the start of his career.

But since returning to Ewood Park in the summer the 35-year-old has featured in every one of Owen Coyle’s struggling side’s 11 Championship games.

And Greer said: “It is great to be back here and playing. My first time around I never got much game time but the lads are great, as is everybody behind the scenes.

“It’s a great club to be at and hopefully we can kick on up this league. The lads have made me feel really welcome, we get on really well, but you want to be winning games.

“Hopefully we can win a few more games, because it’s a great club, and hopefully we can get it back up the league.”

Ipswich will arrive in East Lancashire on Saturday having failed to score in or win any of their last four league matches.

But for now Greer’s concentration is on Scotland’s World Cup qualifier in Slovakia tonight.

Gordon Strachan’s side were the only home nation not to make it to Euro 2016.

And Greer, who missed Scotland’s home draw with Lithuania on Saturday with a knock, said: “It was fantastic for all the other home nations in the summer going to the Euros.

“But we missed out and we were very disappointed about that. It would be great for the country to qualify for a major tournament.

“It’s not easy but we’ll give it everything and we’ll continue to do that and hopefully we will qualify.”