Match ends, Blackburn Rovers 0, Middlesbrough 0.
Blackburn Rovers 0-0 Middlesbrough
- From the section Championship
Middlesbrough were held to a goalless draw by play-off hopefuls Blackburn.
Boro looked the most likely to open the scoring in a scrappy first half and home keeper Simon Eastwood made good saves from Jelle Vossen and Adam Reach.
Eastwood saved well from Kike after the break before the Spanish striker hit the post from outside the area with Patrick Bamford firing the rebound on to the top of the bar.
Rovers striker Rudy Gestede almost scored a late winner for the hosts.
He powerfully met Craig Conway's corner in stoppage time only for Boro skipper Grant Leadbitter to clear his effort off the line.
With Ipswich not playing until Tuesday, the visitors knew that a win would have taken them into the second automatic promotion place but they struggled to build any real momentum in a fiercely competitive game.
Middlesbrough came close to taking an early lead but Eastwood did well to come off his line and smother Adam Reach's effort.
Rovers, looking for just a second win in six matches, improved as the half progressed and midfielder Ben Marshall went close with a free-kick before Jordan Rhodes saw a looping header graze the crossbar.
However, they were indebted to two fine saves from Eastwood to keep the scores level at the break.
The 25-year-old kept out Vossen's powerful shot before stopping a header from the same player on the goal-line, with Boro boss Aitor Karanka appealing the ball had crossed the line.
Boro introduced Chelsea loanee Bamford as a second-half substitute and he missed his side's best chance when he fired just over after Kike's shot came back to him off the post.
A number of injury stoppages meant that nearly eight minutes of additional time were played at the end of the game with Gestede's header the closest anyone came to winning it.
Blackburn manager Gary Bowyer: "Mr Karanka's just offered me £200m for Eastwood!
"He's done brilliantly for us. He's played two games and we haven't lost so that's something for me to look at.
"I don't think we're getting enough credit for what we're trying to do here. It's a long season and this club has got to get through January, which is a big month for us."
Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka: "It should be three points. Again, it's the same story when we play against Blackburn. I've been here for one year and we have played against them three times and three times the man of the match was the keeper. I don't know if it's a coincidence.
"We've not had a lot of chances and haven't played much better than them but we've had three or four clear chances to score today."
Line-ups
Blackburn
- 13Eastwood
- 15Baptiste
- 22Duffy
- 5Hanley
- 14OlssonSubstituted forCairneyat 33'minutes
- 32Conway
- 17WilliamsonSubstituted forTaylorat 83'minutes
- 25TunnicliffeBooked at 90mins
- 12Marshall
- 11Rhodes
- 39GestedeBooked at 51mins
Substitutes
- 4Kilgallon
- 8Dunn
- 9Brown
- 10Cairney
- 16Varney
- 19Taylor
- 34Kean
Middlesbrough
- 13Konstantopoulos
- 18WhiteheadBooked at 45mins
- 4AyalaBooked at 90mins
- 6GibsonBooked at 21mins
- 3Friend
- 33WildschutSubstituted forBamfordat 59'minutes
- 7Leadbitter
- 29VeljkovicSubstituted forClaytonat 90+1'minutes
- 20Reach
- 21VossenSubstituted forTomlinat 63'minutes
- 9Kike
Substitutes
- 8Clayton
- 10Tomlin
- 22Omeruo
- 23Bamford
- 24Nsue
- 27Adomah
- 40Mejias
- Referee:
- Carl Boyeson
- Attendance:
- 22,340
Match Stats
Home TeamBlackburnAway TeamMiddlesbrough
- Possession
- Home58%
- Away42%
- Shots
- Home18
- Away8
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away4
- Corners
- Home5
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away10
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Blackburn Rovers 0, Middlesbrough 0.
Foul by Rudy Gestede (Blackburn Rovers).
Daniel Ayala (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Tom Cairney (Blackburn Rovers) because of an injury.
Booking
Ryan Tunnicliffe (Blackburn Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Ryan Tunnicliffe (Blackburn Rovers).
Lee Tomlin (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Rudy Gestede (Blackburn Rovers) header from very close range is blocked. Assisted by Craig Conway with a cross.
Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Dean Whitehead.
Attempt missed. Rudy Gestede (Blackburn Rovers) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Tom Cairney with a cross.
Substitution
Substitution, Middlesbrough. Adam Clayton replaces Milos Veljkovic.
Attempt missed. Ben Marshall (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Booking
Daniel Ayala (Middlesbrough) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Ryan Tunnicliffe (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Daniel Ayala (Middlesbrough).
Foul by Chris Taylor (Blackburn Rovers).
Patrick Bamford (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Craig Conway (Blackburn Rovers) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Attempt saved. Craig Conway (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Tom Cairney.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution
Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. Chris Taylor replaces Lee Williamson because of an injury.
Delay in match Lee Williamson (Blackburn Rovers) because of an injury.
Attempt blocked. George Friend (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lee Tomlin.
Patrick Bamford (Middlesbrough) hits the bar with a left footed shot from the centre of the box. Assisted by Kike.
Kike (Middlesbrough) hits the right post with a right footed shot from outside the box. Assisted by George Friend.
Foul by Lee Williamson (Blackburn Rovers).
Lee Tomlin (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Grant Hanley (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Lee Tomlin (Middlesbrough).
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Lee Williamson (Blackburn Rovers) because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Craig Conway (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Attempt missed. Rudy Gestede (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Tom Cairney.
Craig Conway (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Dean Whitehead (Middlesbrough).
Shane Duffy (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Kike (Middlesbrough).
Offside, Middlesbrough. George Friend tries a through ball, but Kike is caught offside.