For all the concerns and questions raised about the Rovers backline, it was actually a shortage of goals which was on the lips of most fans as they left Ewood Park after the stalemate with Cardiff City.

Few would have predicted that after five matches, particularly after shipping four in their opening two, that they would possess the second best defensive record in the Championship. On the other hand, only Brentford have scored fewer than Rovers’ three.

As you fix one perceived weakness, another seems to rear its head. But seven points from the last nine available, all with clean sheets, isn't anything to be sniffed at.

However,Rovers are now the only team in the Championship waiting for their first goal from open play, with an own goal, a penalty and header from a set play to show from their 61 efforts at goal, only 13 of which have been on target.

But they were within the width of the post of snatching a third consecutive 1-0 win, a feat last achieved in 2004, when Derrick Williams was denied by the woodwork in an end to a game which could be viewed as rousing in an otherwise fairly dour affair.

Even after the victory at Hull City, where they created far more than they did against the Bluebirds, Tony Mowbray said the goal return was an area they had to improve.

“Sometimes when you improve the defensive side, you take away from the attacking bit and you’ve got the get the balance right,” the Rovers boss said after the 0-0.

That balance also has to be right when it comes to playing out from the back. While there always is a risk attached to trying to build from the defence to draw the opposition out, Rovers have played their way in to a trouble a little too often.

Cardiff’s best opening came when Leandra Bacuna crashed an effort against the post after Williams was guilty of playing a loose ball in to the centre of the pitch. And Christian Walton and Darragh Lenihan, otherwise excellent in chalking up another clean sheet, had their blushes spared in the first half when exchanging passes in the six yard box.

That being said, Rovers didn’t have much joy when looking to swing balls in to the box, eaten up by the giant pairing of Sean Morrison and Aden Flint, so did need to come up with something a little different against a Cardiff side who looked eager to avoid a repeat of mistakes made in a 3-0 defeat at Reading last time out on the road.

While fans may have expected money to have been spent this summer on defensive additions, it was reserved for the forward areas. Sam Gallagher, a £5m signing from Southampton, again operated out wide, after being the central striker in the opening two matches, but two headers in the defeat at Fulham apart, rarely has he looked like opening his account.

Endeavour and willingness are never in question, but Rovers need to find a way of getting their No.9 in to more goalscoring positions.

Not that Cardiff created a glut of chances in a competitive game which was devoid of quality in the final third.

Walton saved well from Lee Tomlin just before the break, moving quickly away to his right to keep out the attacker’s low drive, while good judgement when coming off his line prevented Cardiff’s set piece threat fashioning any clear-cut openings.

Rovers had decent openings in the first half themselves, as early as the sixth minute Danny Graham fired over, via a deflection, after a neat move down the left.

And you would have backed the striker to at least hit the target from six yards after being teed up by Bradley Dack were it not for a fine Morrison tackle.

That was one of the few times that the front pair linked up, with both substituted in the final quarter, in Rovers’ search for openings.

It was Cardiff who had the better of the second half though, with the impressive Joe Ralls skimming the outside of the post with a 25-yarder, before substitute Junior Hoilett drew a save from Walton.

Spurred on by the crowd, the closing stages belonged to Rovers, with Williams hitting the post from a Lewis Travis cross before Lenihan fired over from 10 yards with the angle tight.

It left both teams feeling like more care and attention was all it could have taken to turn one point in to three.

For Rovers, seven points from three games in the space of a week represents a good return. They have looked more secure at the back, the search for a creative spark is next on the to-do list.