Middlesbrough remained scoreless for the third successive game after a share of the points with Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat Stadium.
However, they also managed their seventh shut-out in nine attempts to ensure they took something back with them to Teesside.
New signing Danny Graham was selected on the bench following his return to the club but fellow arrival Lee Tomlin began a three-game ban. Both Chelsea loanees Kenneth Omeruo and Nate Chalobah were handed first starts.
Rovers opened well with James Coppinger heading across goal and then failing with hopeful claims for a penalty after driving a free-kick into the defensive wall.
Grant Leadbitter saw his reply charged down and Richie Wellens hoisted over at the other end after another free-kick was conceded.
Following a change of referee at the interval, Mustapha Carayol curled wide for the visitors and Curtis Main headed an Emmanuel Ledesma cross at on loan Manchester United goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.
But Doncaster should have forged ahead when Chris Brown inexplicably fired over an open goal from a low Billy Sharp cross.
Boro introduced Graham from the bench but came under late pressure as their opponents won a number of corners while searching for a breakthrough.
Doncaster Rovers: Johnstone, Tamas, Husband, Keegan (Furman 46), Khumalo, Méité, Coppinger, Wellens, Sharp, Brown, Duffy (Cotterill 79)
subs (unused): Quinn, Maxted, De Val, Peterson, Stevens
Middlesbrough: Given, Omeruo, Ayala (Kamara 88), Gibson, Friend, Leadbitter, Butterfield (Whitehead 63), Chalobah, Ledesma, Main (Graham 64), Carayol
subs (unused): Varga, Hines, Brobbel, Konstantopoulos
Ref: A. Davies
Att: 11,440
Share this article
