Gary Bowyer, the Blackburn Rovers manager, was unable to go into the international break with the comfort of a first win of the season behind him to ease any pressure that may be mounting on his position.
Reports of Bowyer’s imminent sacking last weekend were wide of the mark, but there is a feeling that the patience of the club’s owners, the Venky family, will not last for ever. Previously trigger-happy in sacking three managers in six months, they have had Bowyer in position since March 2013.
It appears evident that his players are still performing for him but, like Bolton Wanderers, they cannot find a victory and last night’s stalemate against a side equally struggling for form added to the frustration around Ewood Park.
This was all a far cry from the rivalry between the clubs in the Barclays Premier League, when challenging for Europe had been a target for both at various points before the rot set in and they were relegated together in 2012.
Since then the harsh financial realities of life outside the top flight have bitten deep, the levels of Blackburn’s losses leaving them under a transfer embargo, while Bolton’s days of spending big on transfer fees and wages are also a thing of the past.
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That said, Blackburn have still been able to rebuff significant offers for Jordan Rhodes, the striker whose return after two matches out with an ankle injury was a welcome sight for the home side.
The Scotland forward, who had been a transfer target for Sunderland and Middlesbrough, almost gave his side the lead after 24 minutes of an opening half that increasingly belonged to Blackburn.
Craig Conway’s whipped-in cross from the right was met at the near post but Rhodes, who scored the winner when the sides last met in March, placed his header just wide of the target.
Seven minutes later came a near carbon copy from the opposite flank, but again Rhodes lacked his usual accuracy when spurning the chance from Ben Marshall’s delivery.
Bolton’s lack of a cutting edge was again apparent and Mark Davies falling over the outstretched leg of Conway moments was the biggest alarm Blackburn had to endure before half-time.
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Bolton improved after the break as Wellington da Silva, the on-loan Brazilian winger, curled a shot wide and Neil Danns, the former Blackburn midfielder, had an effort blocked after Da Silva’s run had been crudely ended by Grant Hanley’s lunging challenge.
Both sides were denied by goalline clearances in a frenetic finish, Davies blocking a Tommy Spurr header and Emile Heskey, a Bolton substitute, being thwarted by Shane Duffy before Dorian Dervite, the Bolton defender, was sent off for his second booking in stoppage time.
Blackburn Rovers (4-4-2): D Raya — A Henley, S Duffy, G Hanley, T Spurr — C Conway, J Lowe, C Evans (sub: D Guthrie, 68min), B Marshall (sub: F Koita, 59) — N Delfouneso (sub: M Barrow, 78), J Rhodes. Substitutes not used: J Steele, M Kilgallon, M Olsson, T Lawrence. Booked: Duffy, Hanley, Evans.
Bolton Wanderers (4-4-1-1): B Amos — L Wilson, D Dervite, P Desir-Gouano, D Moxey — L Feeney, N Danns, M Davies, W Silva (sub: E Heskey, 79) — Z Clough — G Madine. Substitutes not used: R Fitzsimons, J Vela, J Spearing, J Casado, S Dobbie, A Finney. Booked: Dervite, Moxey, Danns, Davies, Silva. Sent off: Dervite.
Referee: P Tierney.