The formbook may have suggested a home win at Ewood Park, but the frame of the Barnsley goal had other ideas as the Tykes held out for a goalless draw.

Three times the woodwork saved the struggling Yorkshiremen as Nigel Spackman claimed his first point since taking over at Oakwell.

A goalless match nonetheless provided plenty of entertainment for the freezing crowd, the talking point of the first half being Matt Jansen's disallowed effort midway through the half, the striker denied the opener by the linesman's flag.

Chances came and went for both sides before the break, most notably Jason McAteer and Mark Hughes spurning chances for the home side while Brad Friedel twice denied Neil Shipperley at the other end.

But by the half drew to a close Blackburn were in control and they set out to keep it that way after the interval. The visitors' one chance of the half almost gave them the lead when Friedel's punch fell to Steve Chettle, the defender sidefooting narrowly over from 18 yards.

At the other end Jansen was determined to grab the headlines and his acrobatic overhead volley was kept out only by the width of the posts. Substitute Marcus Bent could have been the hero, but twice he dwelled on the ball long enough for Barnsley to clear the danger.

On 72 minutes the woodwork again came to the visitors aid, David Dunn heading Damien Duff's cross against the bar before Bent did the same with the rebound, Rovers fans were by now beginning to sense this was not their day.

Teams:

Blackburn Friedel, Jansen, Berg, Taylor, Curtis, McAteer (Keller 64), Flitcroft, Dunn, Duff, Mahon (Blake 77), Hughes (Bent 56).

Subs Not Used: Filan, Hignett.

Barnsley Miller, O'Callaghan, Barker, Chettle, Regan, Hayward, Bullock, Jones, Shipperley (Dyer 70), Neil (Thomas 90), Rankin (Ward 65).

Subs Not Used: Walker, Brown.

Att: 18,573

Ref: W Burns (Scarborough).