JASON Steele believes a first clean sheet of the season gives struggling Blackburn Rovers something to build on.

But the goalkeeper admits the shutout and subsequent point garnered from Saturday’s dour 0-0 home draw with Ipswich Town will mean little if they fail to follow it up with a desperately needed victory tomorrow night.

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Second-from-bottom Rovers welcome Nottingham Forest to Ewood Park looking to end their three-game run without a win or a goal.

Steele accepts they will need to produce a vastly improved attacking performance after failing to trouble his Ipswich counterpart throughout a thoroughly forgettable affair.

But the former England Under-21 international, who was named man-of-the-match after making a series of saves to keep the Tractor Boys out, sees reason for encouragement at the other end of the pitch.

Steele said: “We’re pleased with the clean sheet because it’s not been good enough in terms of defending and keeping clean sheets.

“They give you a big platform to build on and we’ve got that now.

“We didn’t manage to win the game and we didn’t deserve to win the game as we didn’t do enough.

“But we didn’t lose when we would’ve probably lost it earlier in the season.

“But without a doubt we’ve got to get the three points on Tuesday. If we do that four points from two games would be a good return. Hopefully we can do that.

“We’ve got to be more consistent and on Tuesday we’ve got to be more aggressive in terms of going forward. If we do that, we’ll have a chance.

“It just didn’t click (on Saturday), sometimes you get those games, but hopefully we’ll improve on Tuesday and take the game to Forest.”

Gordon Greer is rated as doubtful for the visit of a Forest side who won 3-1 at home to Birmingham City on Friday but who are now the only club in the Championship yet to keep a clean sheet.

Greer came off at half-time against Ipswich with a recurrence of the groin injury he sustained in training ahead of Scotland’s World Cup qualifier with Lithuania.

With Wes Brown also sidelined with a knock he picked up in a behind-closed-doors clash with Accrington Stanley, midfielder Darragh Lenihan had to step in at centre-back alongside Tommie Hoban.

And Steele: “Losing a vastly experienced international centre-half in Gordon was a blow but Darragh has been in there before.

“He does a job, he is very steady, and I thought he did well to be fair to him.”

Steele was also impressed by the performance of Ben Marshall who, with captain Jason Lowe suspended, was moved back to right-back.

“He looks the part when he’s back there,” said the Rovers number one.

“You can’t really ask any more when he helps keep a clean sheet in the first game he’s played there this season.”

Lowe will return to the squad tomorrow night having served his one-match ban.