Rovers are now winless in four as they failed to score for a second successive Ewood Park in being held to a goalless draw by Hull City.

It was a point good enough to take them back into the top six, but another missed opportunity as the chasing pack continue to gain ground and a tough run of fixtures awaiting.

A frustrating saw Tyrhys Dolan waste the best opportunity in the first half, but the visitors were good value for their point that could even been more given their second half display.

Rovers really struggled after the break, failing to force a save out of Karl Darlow, and adding more pressure for the games to come, including the visit of rivals Coventry City on Wednesday night.

The Rovers side showed one change from the 2-2 draw with Huddersfield Town as Sam Gallagher replaced Adam Wharton. That saw them revert to a two-man central midfield pairing, and Gallagher going out to the right.

Gallagher was quickly into the action, his third minute passing playing in Lewis Travis who opted to try and square for Tyrhys Dolan than go alone, with the sliding Jacob Greaves able to cut it out

Both sides were determined to play out from the back, but the first slip came from Rovers four minutes in, with Dom Hyam’s poor pass cut out by Ozan Tufan who should have done better when shooting wide from 20 yards.

Gallagher was operating from the right, but found himself through the middle when played in by Joe Rankin-Costello, but he was unable to bring the ball under control as it skipped through to Karl Darlow.

Rovers did then work the ball from back to front nicely in the 13th minute, with Tyler Morton setting up the attack with an excellent cross field pass, that ended with Rankin-Costello snatching his shot wide.

Hyam and Hayden Cater were seeing plenty of the ball for Rovers who continued to be patient in their approach,  but there were lulls in the game as a result.

Ben Brereton shot tamely straight at Darlow after being found by Rankin-Costello, but the Chilean didn’t look to be moving freely on the back of his ankle knock against Huddersfield.

Hull were lacking a focal point in attack, and were playing the ball out at every opportunity. Midfielder Regan Slater tested Aynsley Pears with a low effort from the edge of the box that the ‘keeper shovelled behind.

Darlow comfortably dealt with a curling Dolan effort just before the half hour, but soon after came Rovers’ best chance of the game. Brereton slid in Dolan whose was timed well, but his effort was dragged wide of the near post from eight yards.

It was the clear opening that Rovers had been waiting for, but one they failed to take.

They had worked some good openings in the final third, with crosses from Harry Pickering and Joe Rankin-Costello flashing across the six-yard box, with no-one able to take advantage.

Morton had an effort deflected wide when a short corner felt his way, but it proved to be a frustrating half infront of goal for Rovers.

They needed to force the issue more, and to keep the crowd onside, but it wasn’t the start to the second half they would have hoped for.

Slater, within seconds of the re-start, carried the ball towards the edge of the box before dragging his shot wide, before Allahyar Sayyadmanesh went within a whisker of the opening inside the opening five minutes of the second half.

He ran off the back of Pickering, who felt he was pushed, to fire across Pears, but narrowly wide of the far post.

Rovers were becoming sloppy, Carter booked for a cynical foul on the edge of the box after losing possession, with Jean Seri bending the free kick narrowly over.

Pickering then had to deflect an Adama Traore shot behind after Harry Vaughan led the charge for a Hull side growing in confidence.

The home crowd were trying to do their bit and drive Rovers forward,  but Hull continued to have the better of things. A poor Brereton pass allowed the Tigers to break, with Traore eventually bending a shot narrowly wide of the post with 64 minutes on the watch.

Rovers’ attacking play in the first half second period was summed up by Brereton’s shot from the edge of the box that was sliced out for a throw.

He was replaced with 18 minutes to go, having not moved freely all game, with Ryan Hedges and Sorba Thomas sent on in a double switch that also Dolan replaced.

Rovers were beginning to enjoy some territory, but their unwillingness to get shots away was frustrating the Ewood faithful.

Hull were still full of life as they broke in numbers, Vaughan wasting a good opportunity as he fired over.

With six minutes remaining Tomasson turned to his bench again, this time a triple substitution as Callum Brittain, Adam Wharton and Harry Leonard were all sent on.

Hedges then almost teed up Leonard in the second of five additional minute, but the sliding striker was unable to turn home at the far post, while Thomas wasted a good opportunity when firing into the side-netting.

It wasn’t enough though with Rovers now four without a win since the international break.

Rovers: Pears, Rankin-Costello (Brittain, 84), Carter, Hyam, Pickering, Travis (A Wharton, 84), Morton, Szmodics, Dolan (Hedges, 72), Brereton (Thomas, 72), Gallagher (Leonard, 84)

Subs: Kaminski, S Wharton

Hull City: Darlow, Elder, Greaves, McLoughlin, Coyle, Seri (Simons, 85), Slater, Tufan (Docherty, 73), Vaughan (Ebiowei, 85), Traore, Sayyadmanesh (Pelkas, 68)

Subs: Ingram, Woods, A Taylor