By Mark Mitchener

Howe has helped Bournemouth keep back-to-back clean sheets

Defender Eddie Howe hopes Bournemouth can take heart from their 0-0 draw at Barnsley as they look to move away from the League One relegation zone.

"I think we'd have taken a point and a clean sheet before the game, so we're quite pleased," Howe told BBC Sport.

"We lost Marcus Browning just before the kick-off, so we had to reshuffle but the lads adapted well.

"We felt we deserved our point - it wasn't the prettiest of games but we dug in and showed our character."

Barnsley have the best home record in League One, with 11 wins, eight draws and just one defeat at Oakwell - but the Cherries became only the second visiting side this season to prevent Andy Ritchie's team from scoring.

We've looked strong at the back Eddie Howe

"We knew it would be a difficult place to come as Barnsley have done really well this year," Howe explained.

"They've got two good front lads in Paul Hayes and Marc Richards, and their midfield is full of goals and creativity, so to restrict them to about three chances was very good.

"Gareth Stewart made two really important saves - the first one was deflected off me and as it was fizzing past me, I thought 'that's a goal', but he did brilliantly to keep that one out, and then made another great reflex stop.

"We've looked strong at the back lately, and Adam Griffiths has played a large part in that, too - he's settled in really well."

Although Milton Keynes Dons are now five points adrift at the bottom of League One, just seven points separate the 12 teams above them - including Bournemouth, who are 17th, and still have to play all the top four teams at home.

BOURNEMOUTH'S RUN-IN 1 April: Southend (h) 8 April: Scunthorpe (a) 11 April: Walsall (a) 15 April: Huddersfield (h) 17 April: Port Vale (a) 22 April: Colchester (h) 29 April: Nottm Forest (a) 6 May: Brentford (h)

But with several players back from injury, including club captain Steve Fletcher, Howe hopes the Cherries can build on their back-to-back clean sheets against Yeovil (who were beaten 1-0 at Dean Court last week) and Barnsley.

"I think it's a pretty even league - we've got a lot of players back now, and I think we're quite strong," the former England Under-21 international said.

"But there's no point in just saying it - we need to pick up the points, and we want to stay unbeaten for as long as we can.

"We know what we've got to do - obviously we're going to be interested in the other results, but there's no point in relying on them.

"Next week's another big game, home to Southend, but if we can show the same attitude and maybe get a little bit of luck in front of goal, then who knows.