GIVEN the sides had met just five weeks earlier, there would have been no surprises in the Rovers camp as to the approach of Northampton Town.

Their physicality threatened an upset against at Sixfields on December 23, while the Ewood Park reverse played out almost as a carbon copy.

On this occasion however, Rovers did play at a higher intensity, camped themselves in the visitors’ final third for long periods and deserved the equaliser when it came their way with 16 minutes to go.

But having once again allowed the Cobblers to take an early lead Rovers were to play in to their hands, giving Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s men something to hold on to.

The combination of physical play and timewasting tactics proved to be frustrating for Rovers, though they didn’t help themselves in the opening 45 minutes, proving too easy to defend against.

Too much of their play was in front of the Cobblers who were able to soak up their pressure, though their wave of attacks after the break as they pressed hard did eventually pay off.

However, they couldn’t come up with that elusive winner as it was to be a 1-1 scoreline, and more frustrations, for Tony Mowbray’s men.

It always promised to be a long afternoon for Rovers from the moment John-Joe O’Toole ghosted in to the box to head home Joe Bunney’s cross just 12 minutes in.

That would prove to be their only shot on target of the game in which they fought hard, the block to deny Craig Conway’s shot to set up the counter-attack which led to the goal summing up their resilience.

Conway fired just over 10 minutes before the break in what would be the closest Rovers would come to an equaliser.

The injury sustained by captain Charlie Mulgrew forced Rovers in to an early change, Amari’i Bell being sent on for his debut eight days on from signing for the club.

He was a constant outlet down the Rovers left as the hosts began to deliver better quality crosses in to the opposition box.

Graham and Bradley Dack linked up to good effect 11 minutes after the re-start, only for the latter to be denied by an Ash Taylor block, before Dominic Samuel wasn’t able to turn home Bell’s cut-back.

Rovers continued to probe as balls whizzed across the Northampton six yard box, with substitute Jack Payne seeing his cross fired over by Samuel after Graham won the initial ball in.

But Samuel and Graham would combine to great effect a minute later, the experienced striker pulling off to the far post to meet an inviting cross and head beyond Richard O’Donnell.

The pressure was constant, the momentum with Rovers as Paul Downing met a Payne inswinging corner, only to see his header evade both the far post and the sliding Graham.

O’Donnell then denied Dack’s effort from the edge of the box as the Cobblers continued to prove a tough nut to crack as they negotiated the six added minutes.

Rovers are as close to the top of the table now as they have been at any stage of the season, but have still spent just seven days in the automatic promotion spots.

Doncaster Rovers, AFC Wimbledon, Plymouth Argyle, Bristol Rovers and now Northampton Town have opened the scoring in their games at Ewood and all proved tough to break down thereafter.

It’s an area for Rovers to improve so to ensure they have more comfortable 90 minutes than this and so to not be continually chasing the game and playing catch up.

But with their unbeaten run now stretching to 17 games, there was always a feeling Rovers could haul themselves level, a fine characteristic to have in their bid for promotion.