Middlesbrough missed the opportunity to tighten their grip on second place as they were held 0-0 by Blackburn Rovers. With fellow promotion hopefuls Ipswich and Millwall drawing 1-1 elsewhere, Kim Hellberg's side had the opening to edge further clear, but once again they failed to turn authority into goals.
For long stretches the visitors were the better side, particularly in the first half, yet Balazs Toth and Blackburn's determined defending kept them out. Michael O'Neill's team were second best in possession for much of the contest, but their work without the ball and a handful of moments at the other end earned a draw that could matter in the relegation fight.
Middlesbrough make the early running
Given that no team had taken more points on the road than Middlesbrough, their confident start was no surprise. Luke Ayling drew a fine low save from Toth after only four minutes, and Blackburn immediately had a sense of the pressure they would have to absorb.