Rovers reporter Rich Sharpe picks out the talking points from the 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough.

COMMUNICATION KEY

The big turning point of the game came in the 21st minute, when after being robbed of possession, Mo Besic clearly grabbed the shirt of Bradley Dack who would have been clean through on goal.

Dack led the protests, joined by the majority of his team mates, with no decision forthcoming.

After what seemed like an age, but probably after around 20 seconds or so, following consultation between the referee and his assistant closest to the incident, a foul was given, and the inevitable red card followed.

It’s hard to see how Tony Pulis could argue against it, as, if running clean through on goal with no covering defender from 20 yards isn’t a clear and obvious goalscoring opportunity, then what is?

The referee was perfectly placed, and while strange he didn’t award anything straight away, the right conclusion was made.

CONVERSION RATE

This was a seventh time in 11 away matches that Rovers had led at half time.

However, they have turned just three of those in to wins, not helped by scoring just four second half goals on their travels.

At any moment one of Boro’s long throws in to the box could have fallen their way to present an equaliser, so it was always felt a second goal was needed.

Danny Graham, Corry Evans, Bradley Dack and Craig Conway all had good openings to do just that, but were denied by a great block, a bad miss, the post, and Darren Randolph respectively. 

In the end, the Boro equaliser came from an excellent 20 yard strike from substitute Britt Assombalonga.

With no clean sheet on the road since the 0-0 draw at Derby in September, and having failed to score more than once on their travels for a sixth game running, a failure to take their opportunities meant they had to settle for a draw.

DOWNING OVER DARRAGH

For just the second time this season Tony Mowbray named an unchanged team.

He said it wasn’t something he had to consider too greatly after the performance in the win over Sheffield Wednesday seven days earlier.

That was despite the return from injury of Darragh Lenihan, but Mowbray preferred to keep Paul Downing in the heart of the defence in what was just a third start of the season.

Downing again was fine, but did make one high profile error in the dying seconds which almost cost his side a point.

Questions would more than likely been asked over his selection had Assombalonga managed to convert the opening, in the same way had Lenihan been punished for a mistake after Downing had been dropped.

They are all calls for the manager to make, and while Lenihan will return in due course, Mowbray has sent a message to his squad that if you take your chance when presented it, you will keep your place.

MULGREW MAGIC

The Rovers skipper now has 16 goals in his last 46 Rovers matches, and five for this season, as well as one more for his country.

A stunningly precise free kick, beating wall packed with players over six feet tall, put Rovers in the ascendancy in the 22nd minute.

It meant that Mulgrew has now scored from all three dead ball situations this season, a corner, a penalty and now a free kick.

That is testament to the ability with his left foot, and while his free kicks from the wide areas were poor at times, you can largely bank on him at least hitting the target when in range from a shooting opportunity.

Mulgrew has someway to go however to manage the feat of Brazilian Marcio Richardes who managed to score from all three in the same game when playing in Japan in 2010.

While Mulgrew's free kick was worthy of mention, so too was his defending, as the captain looked back to his best.