Rovers waited 16 games for a clean sheet, and then claimed two in the space of four days, but were disappointing in attack as they left Oakwell with a point.

An excellent second half chance squandered by Ben Brereton apart, Rovers were on the back foot and disappointing in attack, grateful to fine Thomas Kaminski saves in either half.

Rovers managed just three shots across the 90 minutes, Brereton’s effort when clean through their best attempt, and they lacked composure in possession in front of a strong travelling contingent from East Lancashire.

A debut for Tayo Edun came in the second half, but this won’t be a game that lives long in the memory books, the one positive the clean sheet, while it did also extend their unbeaten run on the road at the start of the season to four games.

The Rovers team showed one change from the side that beat Hull City as fit again Ian Poveda came straight back into the side after missing the previous two games with a hamstring strain.

He was lively from the off, thouhg Rovers couldn’t always get him the ball in the space that he was creating, with a clear feature of the opening stages being their desire to play balls over the top.

Ben Brereton and Tyrhys Dolan were both flagged offside as Rovers looked to take advantage of a high Barnsley line, but they were without success in the early stages.

Their first effort at goal came 17 minutes in, Lewis Travis doing well initially to win the ball and drive forward, his pass finding Brereton on the left edge of the box, though Dolan couldn’t get out of the way of his shot and blocked it with his back.

Barnsley, with three giant centre halves and a wing-back system, were playing without the ball for much of the opening quarter, but a spark from midfielder Clarke Oduor should have given them the lead. He danced through the attemped tackles of Travis and Darragh Lenihan to glide into the box, only to be denied when one-on-one by the feet of Thomas Kaminski.

Kaminski’s next save was a little more routine, in the 26th minute, Cauley Woodrow’s effort on the turn gathered on the second bounce by the Belgian.

Rovers on the other hand had gone quiet on the attacking front, and remained without a shot on target. That looked like ending as Dolan tricked his way past his marker on the right to deliver a ball that Brereton couldn’t turn home, while in the same attack, a fine Pickering pass slipped in Brereton whose ball across couldn’t be turned in by a team-mate.

The efforts on goal continued to come from Barnsley, a 41st minute corner saw Ayala blocked off to allow Michal Hielik to get a header on goal, though Kaminski was well placed to save.

Rovers were inviting pressure by not clearing their lines well, Travis penalised for a foul on the edge of his own box when trying to run the ball out of defence, though Woodrow, scorer of a fine free-kick in midweek, hit the base of the wall.

While Rovers emerged unchanged, Barnsley made a double switch, sending on Will Hondermarck and Dominik Frieser as Markus Schopp switched things up.

The changes had done little to add to the entertainment stakes, neither side able to produce much of note in the final third, frustratingly so for Rovers.

Just before the hour Rothwell slide in Brereton who tucked home a calm finish, but the flag had already been raised, with Tony Mowbray left with his hands on his head as a string of crosses failed to find their target.

The third and final Barnsley change arrived before Rovers had made their first, but this was enforced as injury saw Claudio Gomes replaced.

Woodrow has his second free-kick of the day denied by the wall before Mowbray did turn to his bench at the midway point o fthe half, Leighton Clarkson and Reda Khadra the two to be introduced.

By this point both sides appeared unable to keep hold of the ball for any length of time.

The height advantage was certainly with the hosts, something they looked to use to their advantage shortly after the changes. A right-wing corner was met by the glancing header of sub Frieser, and tipped over the bar by Kaminski.

As Rovers then counter-attacked from a corner soon after, they had their big chance. Substitute Khadra led it and was able to slide through Brereton, only for his touch when clean through to take him too close to goalkeeper Brad Collins who was quickly off his line to block an attempted chip.

It was the busiest spell of action of the match as with 20 minutes remaining, Callum Styles crossed from the left for the unmarked Callum Brittain who couldn’t have caught his half volley well, only to see it flash wide.

Tayo Edun was then sent on for his Rovers debut, but the better chances continued to come for Barnsley.

A Frieser cross was flicked on by Hielik, his header somehow failing to find the far post, or be turned in by Victor Adeboyejo.

Rovers again failed to clear their lines as the game ticked into the final five minutes, a well-hit shot from Styles flashing wide of Kaminski’s post.

They did have a late chance of their own however, Barnsley this time unable to clear a deep ball into the box, substitute Khadra and Clarkson linking up, the Liverpool loanee seeing his effort beaten away by Collins.

Barnsley: Collins, Styles, Brittain, Woodrow, Leya Iseka (Frieser, 46), Moon, Gomes (Adeboyejo, 61), Sibbick (Hondermarck, 46), Oduor, Halme, Hielik
Subs: Walton, Vita, Sraha, Cole

Rovers: Kamsinki, Nyambe, Lenihan, Ayala, Pickering, Travis, Rothwell (Edun, 71), Buckley, Poveda (Clarkson, 67), Dolan (Khadra, 67), Brereton

Subs: Pears, Carter, Davenport, Butterworth