Hull City 0 Doncaster Rovers 0: Rovers hold Hull to give hope for the fight ahead

Rocked by boardoom departures and unable to keep star striker Billy Sharp, the club needed a boost to morale.

Goalless draws are not exactly manna from heaven but, after six consecutive defeats on the road, this result still signalled an important shift in direction.

It also reaped the club’s first clean sheet of the season away from the Keepmoat Stadium – thanks in no small part to a string of saves from on-loan goalkeeper David Button.

Rovers, beaten in the third round of the FA Cup by Notts County, had not played for 10 days but Hull had been the giant-killing victims of the fourth round weekend, losing 1-0 at home to Crawley Town.

Manager Nick Barmby’s decision to make seven changes against the League Two leaders clearly backfired yet his side was back to full strength last night and seeking to build on back-to-back league wins over Peterborough United and Reading.

They probably deserved more than a point and will look back on missed opportunities.

It is probably scant consolation, but they still have an unbeaten home record against Rovers stretching back 62 years.

For Rovers, this was the first game since Sharp’s £2m departure to Southampton but, on the plus side, striker El-Hadji Diouf was still around.

The former Liverpool and Rangers star had been talking to a number of clubs prior to last night’s transfer deadline but was still in the red and white hoops come kick-off time alongside Habib Bamogo – making his debut as a replacement for Sharp.

With Habib Baye suspended and James Coppinger ruled out by a fractured cheekbone, there were recalls for Adam Lockwood and John Oster.

Manager Dean Saunders also opted to give Martin Woods his first start in over a year after serious hip and groin problems with Simon Gillett dropped to the bench.

The Tigers, wearing black armbands in memory of former chairman Bob Chapman, made the better start in a game attended by just under 20,000 on a cold, cold Hull night, and both Robert Koren and Corry Evans tested goalkeeper Button.

A nice link-up between Rosenior and Aaron Mclean put Matty Fryatt in an ideal position to score but his shot fizzed inches wide.

As the first half progressed, there was little in the balance of play but Rovers were too often guilty of surrendering possession cheaply, especially from the ‘long ball’.

Hull missed a second good opportunity to take the lead on 33 minutes when Andy Dawson’s free-kick found Mclean at the far post but the striker hit the side netting with his header.

The pressure intensified on Rovers as Button blocked a smart volley from Stewart.

Referee Jock Waugh may have been a native of South Yorkshire, but certainly showed no favours towards Rovers.

Not for the first time this season, Diouf looked unhappy with the way he was being treated and Bamogo, too, got short shrift from the official whenever looking for a foul.

Hull began to up the tempo after the break yet Rovers defended in numbers to keep them out of the box. Button tipped a 25-yard drive from Koren around the post before Barmby made his first changes of the night and sent on substitutes Josh King and Seyi Olofinjana.

A Hull player – Paul McKenna – was finally booked for a foul on Diouf with 18 minutes to play.

Fair enough, Diouf has been no saint in the past. Far from it. Yet there are times when you wonder if top stars do get a rough ride from referees after dropping down a level?

He so nearly had the last laugh, but his opportunist volley was tipped over the bar by Hull goalkeeper Vito Mannone.

In the final stages, Hull’s frustration grew as a series of chances went begging. Oster blocked a Fryatt overhead kick on the line and Koren twice went close.

There were disgruntled jeers from a small section of home supporters at the final whistle but Rovers fans went home happy.

After events of the last week or so, the draw was a reason to feel good again. But there are still plenty of nervous weeks to come as their club remains five points adrift of safety in the Championship relegation zone.

Hull, however, remain in the play-off zone knowing that chances will have to be put away more readily if they are to achieve their ultimate goal of promotion.

Hull City: Mannone; Rosenior, Chester, Hobbs, Dawson; Evans (Olofinjana 68), McKenna; Mclean, Koren, Stewart (King 68); Fryatt. Unused substitutes: Carson, Dudgeon, Cooper.

Doncaster Rovers: Button; O’Connor, Hird, Lockwood, Spurr; Stock, Oster, Woods (Gillett 75), Bamogo (Bennett 71); Diouf (Martis 87); Hayter. Unused substitutes: Plessis, Bagayoko.

Referee: J Waugh (South Yorkshire).

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