TOM Cairney admits there would be no better time to end his long wait for a goal than in tonight’s ‘big’ Championship match at home to Brentford.

The Blackburn Rovers midfielder has failed to find the back of the net since he scored two goal-of-the-season contenders in the opening two weeks of the campaign.

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But, after being moved into his favoured position in the centre of the park, Rovers’ reigning player of the year has certainly gone close.

Cairney was denied by a string of superb saves in Saturday’s 3-1 success at Charlton Athletic and in last Wednesday’s 1-0 victory at home to Bolton Wanderers.

After being hampered by a series of niggling injuries the 24-year-old believes he is coming into his best form of the season.

And now he wants to cap it with a goal in tonight’s Ewood Park showdown which, if Rovers win, could see them close the gap on the play-offs to five points.

Cairney said: “I’m enjoying my football, I’m involved a lot in the games and I’m getting involved higher up the pitch.

“I just wish I could hit the back of the net because at the moment I only seem to score in training.

“I just need one to skim off me and go in to change my luck but I’d be more worried if I wasn’t getting in those positions and not having shots.”

Asked whether playing centrally makes him more of a goal threat the former Hull City man said: “I’m definitely a lot more involved in the build-up play and trying to set people up.

“I’m enjoying it and getting to the edge of the box, I just need one to go in sooner rather than later.

“I say it all the time, I just need Easty (Simon Eastwood) in goal because I score past him all the time in training. I’ve said to Easty, ‘can’t you put their kit on’?

“It’s like Ben Amos, the Bolton goalkeeper. I know him because he came on loan to Hull and I said to him after that game, ‘you’re killing me’.

“It’s just one of those things and once one goes in I’m sure I’ll get a few.”

Despite an ever growing injury list Rovers have gone on a five-match unbeaten run since losing 2-1 at home to Norwich City three weeks ago.

That left Gary Bowyer’s side a massive 15 points behind the top six.

But a run of three straight league wins since then means they are now eight points behind the team who occupy the final play-off place, tonight’s opponents Brentford.

And Cairney said: “It’s a crazy league, three wins and everybody starts looking up.

“If we can beat Brentford then the gap will be even closer and that’s why it’s such a big game.

“It won’t be easy, they are a good side, but we’ve hit a bit of momentum, which is big in football, and I fancy us to get a result.”

Matt Kilgallon is set to captain Rovers tonight after he missed the victory at the Valley through injury.

His replacement as skipper, Lee Williamson, came off injured during the match, meaning Cairney was passed the armband.

And he said: “It was strange being captain Cairney!

“ I was getting a lot of stick with Marshy (Ben Marshall) calling me skip for the rest of the second half.

“But it was nice being captain of the team and I’m unbeaten with the armband.

“I don’t think it’s mine to keep but one out of one, I’ll take that!”