HOPE Akpan insists his maiden goal for Blackburn Rovers has to be the first of many as they look to lighten the load on Jordan Rhodes.

Going into Saturday’s 2-2 home draw with Sheffield Wednesday top-scorer Rhodes had netted more than half of Rovers’ goals in the Championship this season.

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But after Akpan and midfield partner Corry Evans opened their accounts for the campaign it means the prolific striker has now contributed 47 per cent of their league strikes.

Akpan, who was initially wrongly attributed with the opening goal at Preston North End in new manager Paul Lambert’s first game in charge, knows that is still too high a figure.

But the Nigerian international is confident that Rovers do have the players in their squad to share the burden with their prolific talisman.

“I was very pleased to get my first goal,” said Akpan, who scored eight times for Crawley Town but just once for Reading before making the move to Ewood Park in the summer.

“I did a good job of convincing everyone I scored last week so it’s good to have got off the mark.

“Now the aim has got to be to get a few more before the end of the season. I have proved in the past that when I’ve got one, I can go on to get a few.

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“And it’s something that we need. We’ve been saying since the start of the season that all the lads have got to chip in with goals.

“I think it’s slowly but surely starting to happen and if it can, and if Jordan can keep scoring his goals, which I’m sure he will, then I think by the end of the season we’ll be in a good place.”

Rovers moved a point closer to the play-offs and a point further away from the relegation places after the draw with in-form Sheffield Wednesday stretched their unbeaten run to five matches.

But having led in Lambert’s first home game in the Ewood Park hotseat until the 84th minute, man-of-the-match Akpan said: “A few people have said it’s a good point but I can’t help but feel disappointed, especially conceding late on after I felt we’d seen the toughest period out.

“But it’s another point, they’re a side who are up there pushing for the play-offs, we’re a point closer to the play-offs, and hopefully over the next few games and we can pick up some three points.”

Rovers started preparations for Saturday’s trip to Bristol City at Brockhall yesterday.

Rovers boss Lambert has introduced Sunday training sessions as he attempts to drill into his players the high-tempo style he wants them to adopt.

And Akpan said: “Training has been very intense. The new manager, his style is intensity, so training has gone up another level. Everyone has been on it and everyone is fighting to be in the team.

“It’s going to take hard work but I think we can definitely play the way he wants us to play.

“We’ve got the legs, we’ve got the energy, we’ve got the players to get about the pitch and play with a high line. We can do it and I thought we did it at times today.

“But hopefully it’s something we can start doing consistently.”

Rovers captain Grant Hanley will be an injury doubt for the Ashton Gate clash after coming off injured on Saturday.

But Hanley and centre-back Shane Duffy are no longer a booking away from a one-match ban as the cut-off for five cautions is today.