Afternoon folks! Our feature 3pm kickoff in the Championship today takes place in the heart of Lancashire as Blackburn welcome Middlesbrough from across the country. It's a gorgeous, crisp winter's day at Ewood Park.

The squad are out and warming up at @OneRovers Kick-off is just over half-an-hour away #BoroOnTour pic.twitter.com/O2C9oZk52d

— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) December 28, 2014

BLACKBURN XI: Eastwood; Baptiste, Hanley, Duffy, Olsson; Conway, Tunnicliffe, Williamson, Marshall; Gestede, Rhodes
Subs: Kean, Kilgallon, Dunn, Brown, Cairney, Varney, Taylor

Plenty of changes there from the side that were beaten by nearby Bolton Wanderers on Boxing Day. Goalkeeper Jason Steele is ineligible against his parent club, so Simon Eastwood comes in between the sticks. Corry Evans is suspended and replaced by Lee Williamson in midfield, while top-scorer Rudy Gestede returns up front. Tom Cairney drops to the bench and Russell Henley misses out altogether.

Gary Bowyer is also without Joshua King, who scored Rovers' goal at the Macron Stadium two days ago. The Norwegian is ill and replaced by Craig Conway on the right.

BORO XI: Konstantopoulos; Veljkovic, Ayala, Gibson, Friend; Wildschut, Whitehead, Leadbitter, Reach; Kike, Vossen
Subs: Mejias, Clayton, Tomlin, Omeruo, Bamford, Nsue, Adomah

Boro make six changes to the side that cruised past Nottingham Forest two days ago. Out come Emilio Nsue, Kenneth Omeruo, Adam Clayton, Albert Adomah, Lee Tomlin and Patrick Bamford, with Milos Veljkovic, Daniel Ayala, Dean Whitehead, Yannick Wildschut, Adam Reach and Jelle Vossen comning in.

Click here to see the Championship table as it stands going into this afternoon's seven games. Boro currently lie fourth, eight points better off than Blackburn in eighth. With second and third-placed Ipswich Town and Derby County not playing until Tuesday, this is a good chance for Boro to put the pressure on those two teams in the promotion race. League leaders Bournemouth are at Millwall today and if they lose and Boro win, Aitor Karanka's side will go level on points with the Cherries.

So Boro are the higher-placed team and probably just favourites to win today. They also have an excellent recent record against Rovers with just one defeat in their last eight meetings.

It should be a really interesting battle today as one of the more menacing attacks in Jordan Rhodes and Rudy Gestede comes up against the stingiest defence in the league. Boro's shutout against Forest on Boxing Day meant that they became one of three teams to notch their 10th clean sheet this season (the others being Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County). Boro do have the best defence as they've conceded just 17 goals in 23 games (an average of 0.74 per game).

PREDICTION TIME! Just 10 minutes until kickoff at Ewood Park. This is a really tough game to call so I'm going to sit on the fence and go with a 1-1 draw. Remember, both sides played just two days ago so they could be a little jaded.

Looking at our readers' poll on the match preview, most of you fancy Boro to continue their strong promotion challenge with a victory. 63.9% think Boro will win, with 27.8% going for a home win and just 8.3% agreeing with me and picking a draw.

Boro have brought hoards of fans to Ewood today. They've packed out the end stand with around 7,000 people. It might almost feel like a home game for the visitors.

Kick-off is 10 minutes away and "You are my Boro" is already ringing around Ewood Park. #BoroOnTour pic.twitter.com/bJIYeOLj7P

— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) December 28, 2014

Here come the two teams out of the tunnel. If you want to keep an eye on all the other scores today then I recommend you have this page open in a new tab. I'll let you know how Bournemouth are getting on against Millwall throughout the afternoon.

REFEREE WATCH: The man with the whistle today is Carl Boyeson.

Before kickoff we will have a minute's applause to remember those who lost their lives in 2014. A nice touch from Blackburn.

KICKOFF! A little behind schedule, but we're away at Ewood Park as Boro, all in red, get us underway.

Scary moment in the early stages for Blackburn as Kike appears to beat the offside trap. He eases out Duffy before Eastwood races out to collect the ball and prevent the danger.

Boro are seeing more of the ball in the early stages and their huge support at the far end is loving it.

The visitors really do feel like the home side at the moment. "Shall we sing a song for you?" tease the Boro fans.

CHANCE! Big, big chance for Boro and it's wasted by Reach. It all came from Williamson's slack pass that Reach pounced on to go clear on goal. His second touch was very heavy though and allowed Eastwood to come out and just get to the ball.

Boro are pressing Blackburn really well here, not giving the hosts any time at all on the ball. Fine start by the high-flyers.

UPDATE: The team just behind Boro in the table, Brentford, have just gone 1-0 down at Wolves, who, as it stands, leapfrog Blackburn in the table.

Conway gives up his run as he felt that he was impeded a couple of seconds before, but referee Boyeson doesn't agree. We still haven't had a shot from either side, with Boro edging the possession with 55% of the ball.

Eastwood saves Vossen's one-on-one chance, but it wouldn't have counted anyway as the striker was offside.

CHANCE! Blackburn create their first opening as Olsson sends in a cross from the left that Gestede, who has won more headers than anyone else in the league this season, meets. Friend is marking him well, though, and able to divert his header wide.

CHANCE! From the resulting corner the hosts have an even better chance as Conway's delivery is met by the completely-unmarked Marshall, who is only able to flick the ball wide.

It's less than a month since these two sides last met and on November 29 at the Riverside it was a controversial finish as Blackburn scored an equaliser that should have been disallowed in the 95th minute.

BOOKING! First yellow card of the game and an easy decision for Boyeson as Gibson nastily scythes down Conway.

SAVE! Marshall, who has scored multiple free kicks this season, curls the ball up and over the wall but there's Konstantopoulos to make a sprawling save.

Boro captain Leadbitter is absolutely furious with teammate Kike after the Spanish striker tried to score from an impossible angle when he could have squared it. Leadbitter is right to be angry, but perhaps should have hid his emotions a little better.

This is worrying for Rovers left-back Olsson as he stays down after a hefty challenge with Whitehead.

A bit of a delay but we're back underway now and Olsson is going to try to soldier on.

BLACKBURN SUB: Olsson falls to the ground again, though, and he'll have to go off. Tom Cairney is on in his place.

Cairney is hardly a defender, so it looks like Marshall has dropped back to right-back, with Baptiste switching sides to go and play left-back.

OFF THE BAR! Rovers almost break the deadlock as Gestede challenges Konstantopoulos for a high ball, meaning that the Boro keeper can only punch it up, rather than away. Rhodes loops a header at goal and it lands on top of the crossbar.

OFF THE POST! Down the other end it's Boro who go close as Reach's shot at goal is brilliantly tipped onto the post by Eastwood. Fine save.

CLOSE! Boro are knocking on the door at Ewood! It's another fine save from Eastwood as he prevents Reach scoring just as the ball was about to cross the line. Boro players thought that it might have gone in, but the officials didn't see it that way.

Cairney blazes high over the bar after some Blackburn pressure. It's been a real end-to-end game, this one, with both sides enjoying spells on top.

BOOKING! Whitehead joins teammate Gibson in the book after taking out Tunnicliffe.

Moments after two minutes of added time are signalled, Blackburn almost have a great chance when Baptiste collects the ball in the box, but he can't quite bring it under control to get off a shot.

No goals at the break, then. It was a topsy-turvy 45 minutes, with both sides having chances but failing to take them.

Boro had the clearest openings, but were unable to beat an in-form Eastwood between the sticks. Reach has been the visiting player most guilty of missing chances.

Boro have only had three shots, but they've got all three on target. Blackburn have only got one of their seven attempts on goal. The home side are also seeing more of the ball with 58% possession.

As things stand, Boro will be climbing a place to third in the table, while Blackburn are set to fall to ninth and drop five points adrift of the playoffs.

HT SCORES! Here's the latest in the Championship: Blackpool 0-0 Rotherham, Cardiff 1-2 Watford, Huddersfield 1-1 Bolton, Millwall 0-2 Bournemouth, Reading 2-0 Norwich, Wolves 1-0 Brentford

As you can see, Bournemouth are comfortably winning at Millwall and are on course to go four points clear at the top of the table.

We're behind schedule at Ewood after a delayed kickoff, but the two teams are back out on the pitch now. No changes from either manager, but remember, Blackburn had to make one in the first half because of Olsson's injury.

KICKOFF! We're back underway in Lancashire.

Cagey start to the second half, here's a good picture of some first-half action.

© Getty Images

SAVE! Baptiste with a rare shot at goal and it's a good curling effort that might have been creeping inside the far post. Konstantopoulos takes no chances and pushes it away.

BOOKING! Gestede is the first Blackburn player to be yellow-carded following a rash slide on Gibson.

Neat football down the left from Boro which ends when Friend's cross is well claimed by Eastwood.

CHANCE! Blackburn surge up the other end and have maybe their best chance of the match when a loose ball falls to Cairney, whose shot on his strong left foot is straight at Konstantopoulos.

SAVE! Eastwood denies Boro again with a strong right hand as Kike went for the bottom corner on the break for Boro. End-to-end stuff!

CHANCE! Back come Blackburn! Marshall with an inviting low cross from the right that Rhodes fails to make good contact with under pressure from Gibson.

BORO SUB: First change of the game as Patrick Bamford replaces Wildschut for Boro.

Rhodes fails to beat Konstantopoulos with a good chance, but he was offside so it wouldn't have counted anyway.

BORO SUB: Another change from Karanka as he looks to shake up his frontline - Vossen off, Tomlin on.

Not the best start for Tomlin as he miscontrols Leadbitter's pinpoint cross at the back post.

Boro fans and players scream for a penalty as Bamford beats Hanley to the ball in the box and is bundled over by the Scot. Bamford had no intention to carry on as he knocked the ball out of play, but Hanley was late and reckless. Karanka is fuming on the touchline.

Rovers' top scorer Gestede tries his luck with an inviting bouncing ball from 25 yards and blasts it nearer row Z than the goal. With 20 minutes to go, it's hard to say which side is more likely to win.

SHOT! At the moment it's Blackburn on top and they go close with a long-range effort from Conway that fizzes a yard or so wide of the post.

A two-minute break in play as Williamson stays down with an injury. Chris Taylor gets himself ready on the sideline, but it looks like Williamson will try to continue.

Boro have one change left to make, while Blackburn have two if they want them. I'd be surprised not to see Luke Varney and Albert Adomah in the final quarter of an hour.

OFF THE POST, THEN THE BAR! Boro oh so close to breaking the deadlock! Kike's curling effort was a gorgeous one that bounced back off the inside of the post. It fell straight to Bamford, who just had to cushion it on goal but he was only able to sidefoot the high volley against the top of the crossbar.

Moments after Kike failed to make good contact on Friend's low cross, Williamson goes down again. He'll have to come off now, surely?

BLACKBURN SUB: Williamson looks really shaken up as he's helped off the pitch. Taylor replaces him in midfield. There'll be plenty of added time at Ewood.

SAVE! Conway has been Blackburn's brightest player in the second half and tests Konstantopoulos with a vicious 20-yard strike that's too hot for the Greek to handle.

Leadbitter with a free kick on the right for Boro that reaches Ayala. His volley at goal is blocked and Blackburn survive.

BOOKING! Blackburn look to break straight away and are stopped by Ayala's cynical lunge on Tunnicliffe.

SIX minutes of added time at Ewood Park. Plenty of time for a winner...

BORO SUB: Karanka makes his third and final change, with Clayton replacing Veljkovic.

Unsurprisingly, Blackburn's announcer reveals that goalkeeper Eastwood has been voted as man of the match. The back-up keeper has made some brilliant saves.

OFF THE LINE! Brilliant from Boro captain Leadbitter as he hacks Gestede's close-range header off the line with Konstantopoulos beaten.

BOOKING! Horrible challenge from Tunnicliffe as he hacks down Tomlin. He was trying to stop the Boro counter-attack and that could have even been a red card. Disgusting the way he jumped into that with both feet.

We've lost about a minute as Cairney received treatment so we'll playing up to at least the 97-minute mark.

Given that this is the two sides' second game in 48 hours, the players are looking very tired out there. It's so open!

A goalless draw, but an entertaining one at Ewood Park. Boro had the better chances, but Blackburn probably had more. Neither is able to give their fans a win in their final game of the year, but I think that both managers will be content with a point.

Click here to see how the Championship table looks after today's eight games. Boro move up a place to third, but they will fall back to fourth if Derby avoid defeat on Tuesday. Blackburn drop one place to ninth and are five points from the playoffs.

For all of today's match reports, head this way to catch up on a bumper festive Sunday of footy.

Time for us to say goodbye, thanks for joining SM this afternoon. There might not have been any goals, but it was an enthralling match nonetheless. Keep your eyes peeled for reaction from the Championship and more later this evening. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.