BRADLEY Dack rescued a point for Rovers five minutes from time with his first goal for the club in the 1-1 draw at Shrewsbury Town.

Rovers look to staring at a fourth defeat of the season until Dack came up with the equaliser in the 85th minute, firing home from 10 yards out as he converted a Harry Chapman cross.

Toto  Nsiala had put the table-topping Shrews in to the lead just before the hour mark, scrambling the ball home from close range following a defensive mix-up from Rovers.

Rovers were far from their best, looking decidedly anxious in defence, but rallied late on to get a point away at the league leaders.

Tony Mowbray made two changes to his side, with Danny Graham and Bradley Dack being recalled, with Craig Conway missing out through injury, and Marcus Antonsson dropping to the bench.

Shrewsbury came in to the game with plenty of confidence, having won seven and drawing one of their opening eight league games.

But it was Rovers who threatened first, with Dominic Samuel going close with a header inside the opening five minutes.  He pulled off to the back post to meet an Elliott Bennett cross, but with the keeper beaten, it flashed just wide of the top corner.

The opening stages of the game were surprisingly open, with Shrewsbury finding plenty of space in between the lines of the Rovers side.

Jon Nolan in particular was finding space in the middle of the pitch, while Shaun Whalley was isolating Derrick Williams down their right-hand side.

Rovers were forced to twice scramble dangerous Whalley crosses away, while Charlie Mulgrew did well to block an Alex Rodman effort from the edge of the area.

David Raya came in to the game with three consecutive clean sheets away from home, but he would almost concede just after the half hour mark when he failed to fully deal with a right-wing corner.  His punch was more up than away, and despite appealing for a foul, he was beaten to the second ball by Toto Nsiala whose header would come back off the bar.

Then, just before the break, he would concede a free-kick after racing out of his box after Elliott Ward had let the ball run, only to bring down Stefan Payne.  Although Whalley’s initial free-kick was cleared, the winger fired the follow-up over the bar.

Rovers were struggling to build any momentum as an attacking force, with too many hopeful long balls from back to front.

The two other chances they created in the first half were both headers, one over the top from Bradley Dack as he met a Paul Caddis cross, while Smallwood nodded a Bennett delivery wide of the target.

Rovers did howver have more control of things after the break as they started to string a succession of passes together.

Derrick Williams would go close to breaking the deadlock eight minutes after the re-start, only for his 30-yarder to whistle just wide of the far post.

Mulgrew would then have his first sight of goal from a free-kick 25 yards out, but Dean Henderson positioned himself well to gather the effort which curled up and over the wall.

But with 58 minutes on the watch, it was the hosts who would break the deadlock.  Rovers half cleared a fre-kick on two separate occasions, but when the ball came in for a third time, Ward and Raya collided in to each other, and after neither dealt with it, Nsiala forced the ball over the line.

Rovers tried to rally, only for Bennett to see a shot deflected just wide of the post five minutes later when Smallwood’s cross wasn’t fully cleared.

But Rovers were at six and sevens at the box, and almost condeded a second with 20 minutes to go. Nolan sent Stefan Payne clear, and he stepped inside Mulgrew, only to be denied by the feet of Raya.

Things needed to change from a Rovers perspective, with Mowbray making a double change, sending on Harry Chapman, Peter Whittingham and Marcus Antonsson.

It almost had the desired effect straight away, only for Chapman to head straight in to the arms of Henderson as he met an Antonsson cross.

Rovers were pressing hard, but not looking like breaking through, until five minutes from time when Dack levelled.

Chapman showed good pace to break down the right, and his low cross fell in to the path of Dack who slid the ball under Henderson for his first for the club.

From then on in, both sides poured men forward in search of a winner.

Mulgrew and Smallwood both made last-ditch tackles for Rovers, while Henderson was equal to Chapman’s curling effort, as it ended all square.