GARY Bowyer believes Blackburn Rovers can end their long wait for an away league win by adding to Bournemouth’s title jitters today.

You have to go back 10 games and to October 25 for the last time travel-sick Rovers won on the road in the Championship.

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Little wonder, then, high-flying Bournemouth are the firm favourites for this afternoon’s Goldsands Stadium clash.

The Cherries, however, have slipped from first to fourth in the space of two weeks after failing to win any of their last four matches.

Their 2-1 reverse at revived Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night meant they suffered back-to-back league defeats for only the second time this season.

The first came back in August when they followed a 2-1 home loss to Forest by going down 3-2 at Rovers.

That day Bowyer’s boys blew Bournemouth away with a devastating spell of three goals in 11 first-half minutes.

And it was a similar story last season when Rovers scored three times before the break to run out 3-1 winners to the delight of the 1,000-strong support who had made the trip to the south coast.

“We’re aware of the challenge that lies ahead but it’s one we’re looking forward to,” said Rovers boss Bowyer.

“We had a fabulous win there last season and we showed some good qualities this season at home against them so we know we’ve got the capabilities to go on and win there.”

Bowyer has maximum respect for the manager in the opposite dugout today.

Eddie Howe has led the Cherries up from League Two to the Championship either side of a spell in charge of Rovers’ rivals Burnley.

And Bowyer said: “He’s done outstandingly well and I’ve got a lot of time for him and the football that they play.

“They were able to build on their own expectation with the investment that they made in the summer and I think that’s paid dividends for them.”

Bournemouth finished four points and two places behind Rovers last season.

But whereas Bowyer’s only cash signing since then has been the £300,000 Shane Duffy, Howe, after losing Lewis Grabban to Norwich City for a similar fee, splashed £3m on Coventry City striker Callum Wilson .

“I think Eddie spent more in the summer on one player than we’ve spent since I’ve been here so I think the ‘little old Bournemouth’ tag that people say is not exactly that now,” said Bowyer.

Rovers, who are now 15 points away from the play-off places after their 2-1 home loss to Norwich City on Tuesday night, will not be made to feel at home today if Howe gets his way.

He said: “We need the supporters now more than at any time during the season.

“We need to try and create a really hostile atmosphere for Blackburn in full support of the players who have given us a magnificent season so far.

“This is the time when we need to stick together.

“We have had some outstanding home games this season and we will look to create another one on Saturday.

“I think you can see that from our recent opponents, in terms of Huddersfield Town and Nottingham Forest, there is always something to play for and it will be another difficult encounter for us against a good side.

“We’ve had some good battles with Blackburn in recent seasons so we will look forward to this one.”