Given the way the two halves played out, it was Rovers’ strong finish which meant they were the ones left most frustrated by the goal-less draw at Ewood Park.

Second best for the opening half hour, as Millwall twice hit the post, Rovers were much more like it thereafter.

A frustrating transfer deadline day would likely have been the talk of the terraces pre-match, but post-match it may well have been about two of Rovers' four recruits.

Chelsea loanee Kasey Palmer was handed his first start and although he frustrated and excited in equal measure at times, there were enough glimpses of the quality he possesses. And Joe Rothwell, off the bench for the closing stages, showed his prowess of his running with the ball on his debut and was denied a stunning goal by a flying Jordan Archer save.

There wasn’t the grandstand finish Rovers had hoped for, but the opening stages of the second period were full of neat interplay.

Rovers’ failure to score came down to two Danny Graham misses when one-on-one, though credit to Archer for his role in both, while he also made a smart stop to deny Bradley Dack in the final moments of the first half.

The post-match stats would suggest that Millwall failed to register a single shot on target, a harsh verdict given how close they came twice in the opening half an hour.

The visitors, something of a throw-back with two line-hugging wingers and the big man, little man combination up front in a 4-4-2 system were getting plenty of early joy. As Mowbray pointed at post-match, Rovers were "out Millwall-ed".

George Saville thumped an 11th minute off the upright, while Jed Wallace volleyed wide from a Steve Morison knockdown.

That acted as something of a wake-up call for Rovers who began to work their way in to the game as Palmer became more involved down the right. Bradley Dack volleyed over after good link-up with Graham, but the upright came to Rovers’ rescue once again just before the half hour mark.

Shrugging off Darragh Lenihan, Morison ran towards the edge of the area unchallenged and then saw his shot crash in to the near upright.

Dack picked himself up after being cynically fouled on the edge of the area to see a low free-kick well saved. As Rovers kept their following corner alive, Dack’s cross found Lenihan whose looping header clipped the bar on the way over.

Mowbray, and the home crowd, got the reaction they were looking for after the break as Rovers showed more signs of life.

The first of Graham’s chance saw him run on to a loose ball and hold off Shaun Hutchinson before being denied by Archer. He quickly apologised when realising squaring to Dack would have been the better option.

The next was created by intelligent play from Dack, threading in the striker who again pulled away from Hutchinson, but again denied by a smart Archer save.

Rothwell and Adam Armstrong were then sent on as the hosts tried to seize the initiative. And it was Rothwell who almost provided it as a positive break and 25-yard shot drew a flying save from Archer.

The visiting goalkeeper began to time-waste to try and take the sting out of Rovers’ waves of attacks, and to Millwall’s credit they managed the final 15 minutes well.

The final whistle meant it was back-to-back draws on Rovers' Championship return. On balance, it could have been as many as six, or as few as one. But they are at least finding their feet, and shown they are capable of dominating sides who are likely to be gate-keepers to the Championship mid-table.

What happens in the loan window could dictate how much further they can go.