Middlesbrough, Blackburn play out stalemate

Tony Mowbray’s Blackburn took a point from their Sky Bet Championship match at former club Middlesbrough.

Lewis Travis gave Blackburn a 58th-minute lead but substitute Hayden Coulson earned Boro a 1-1 draw when he equalised 17 minutes later at the Riverside Stadium.

The result means 10th-placed Blackburn are now six points outside the play-off places, while Boro are seven points above the drop zone in 18th after a fourth match without a win.

Boro started brightly and Rovers goalkeeper Christian Walton needed to react sharply to tip Marvin Johnson’s 10th-minute drive over the bar.

Rovers playmaker Lewis Holtby tested Aynsley Pears with a volley but the German was substituted before the interval with an apparent knee injury.

Five minutes before half-time Paddy McNair came close to opening the scoring for the home side with a cross-shot which clipped the crossbar and went behind for a goal-kick.

Boro looked more likely to open the scoring in the early stages of the second half, with Marcus Tavernier bringing a save out of Walton, before Jonny Howson shot just wide.

However, it was the visitors who went ahead shortly before the hour mark thanks to a decent low finish from Travis, who beat Pears after linking up with Adam Armstrong.

Boro boss Jonathan Woodgate brought on Britt Assombalonga for Tavernier soon after as he sought an equaliser.

And, after Lewis Wing had shot over, Boro were level when Coulson – who replaced George Saville with 19 minutes remaining – tapped in his first goal for the club from close range after another Wing effort had been parried by Walton.

Sam Gallagher was closest to a clincher for the visitors in the closing stages of the contest – but the home side were the more likely winners as time ran out.

Assombalonga shot over, then fellow substitute Rudi Gestede – who came on for Lukas Nmecha with six minutes remaining – brought a save out of Walton, then headed wide against his former club.

It all meant this fixture finished 1-1 for the fourth time in a row – the one before that, in 2014, was goalless.