REWARDS WILL COME SAYS JASON
BOURNEMOUTH failed to score at home for the first time this season but assistant boss Jason Tindall is staying positive about their promotion push.
Rovers secured a point on the south coast after soaking up the majority of Bournemouth’s chances and possession.
The Cherries had hoped to regather some steam in their promotion push but instead stretched their winless run to five games, not that Tindall is panicking though.
““It is another frustrating game where we have dominated possession but have not taken the opportunities that we have created,” he said.
“We could have quite easily won all of the 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. If we can continue to create those opportunities then we will get our rewards.
“We always back ourselves to score goals and unfortunately we have not done that here but we have created chances to score goals.
“The positive is that we have kept a clean sheet and it has been a while since we had done that.
“Their keeper pulled off two great saves from Marc Pugh and then from Yann Kermorgant with his head. That is the way that is going for us at the minute.
“We will not be distracted by any negative talk of what people might be saying.”
The Cherries rushed out of the blocks despite a 30-minute delay to kick-off due to traffic, which held up both goalkeeper Artur Boruc and skipper Tommy Elphick.
Marc Pugh volleyed over after seven minutes, only for Rovers defender Matt Kilgallon to then block Charlie Daniels’ low drive.
Blackburn’s 15-goal striker Rudy Gestede went closest to finding a breakthrough for the visitors when he flashed his header wide from a Craig Conway corner after 42 minutes.
But it was mostly one-way traffic – with Bournemouth desperate to pile pressure on their promotion rivals. Frenchman Yann Kermorgant – back in the side following a family bereavement – went closest when his strike cannoned back off the crossbar after he latched onto a Simon Francis cross seven minutes from time.
Rovers never really looked like scoring until boss Gary Bowyer threw on Jordan Rhodes to liven things up. Rhodes ran down the left before picking out Blackburn top scorer Gestede but he looped his header wide of the goal.
Substitute Tom Cairney galloped past the Bournemouth midfield before his dipping shot went just wide off Boruc’s post at the death, with manager Bowyer delighted with his side for shut- ting out the highest-scorers in the division.
Bowyer said: “We are the first team to come here this season to get a clean sheet and stop them from scoring.
“I thought tactically we were spot on and our organisation was excellent.
“Mathematically it is still possible but when you come here you take what you can get. We have some real firepower in our team but unfortunately we have not got the goal that could have won the game.
“We could have won the game and we have had some chances at the end.”
Bowyer also reserved praise for his opposite number for the job he has done on the south coast, adding: “Eddie Howe has got them playing an unbelievable brand of football and it’s society now and that’s how people view things.
“Where were Bournemouth five years ago and where are they now?
“That is down to Eddie Howe and his chairman, they have done a great job.”