ROVERS reporter Rich Sharpe picks out three talking points from the stalemate with Wolves at Molineux.

STRIKING A BALANCE

FOR the third game running Rovers played with a back three as they looked to frustrate, keep the game tight before coming on strong in the latter stages.

Defensively they were sound, with David Raya not forced in to a save until the 92nd minute. 

Their defensive deficiencies when games have become open in recent weeks, and their inability to score a glut of goals, meant Tony Mowbray could ill-afford for the game to become overly stretched too early.  The head coach will have been looking for his side to mirror the performance at Nottingham Forest eight days earlier.

But so off-colour were Wolves, could Rovers have thrown more caution to the wind earlier than they did?

But without Connor Mahoney to carry the ball forward, Rovers struggled for an attacking threat all afternoon and rarely looked like breaking through.

FINAL THIRD FRUSTRATIONS

ROVERS dictated the ball for much of the game but were somewhat toothless in the final third.

For all his good work down the right, Ryan Nyambe’s final ball was found wanting too often, while a midfield two of Jason Lowe and Danny Guthrie provided little creativity going forward.

Rovers were neat and tidy in possession, but made it easy for Wolves to defend against them.

Sam Gallagher was an isolated figure in attack and regularly found himself as the only man in the box when the crosses were coming in from the flanks.

Rovers had to wait until after the hour mark for their first attempt on target, and for all the attacking players they sent on at the end, there was never a sense that they would be able to find a way through.

DISAPPOINTING DRAWS

JUST like the reverse fixture at Ewood Park in October, Rovers were on the end of another disappointing draw. In all Rovers have now drawn more than a third of their 44 Championship outings, and their 15 stalemates is the second most in the Championship.

Seven teams in the Championship have lost the same number, or more games, than Rovers this season, but only already relegated Rotherham United have won fewer.

Seven of those 15 draws have come in Mowbray’s 13 games in charge, and it is that inability to turn draws in to wins that has blighted Rovers all season.

So often they have been competitive in games, even the better side, but unable to make that count where it matters most.

And that's how it transpired on a disappointing afternoon at Molineux.