AN 88th-minute equaliser from Tom Naylor denied Rovers their first win of the Championship campaign and ensured they remained rooted to the bottom after four games.

Craig Conway put Owen Coyle’s side ahead with a goal of the season contender and then set up new signing Sam Gallagher to open his account for the club after Jackson Irvine had levelled matters.

But promoted Burton snatched a share of the spoils through Naylor leading to groans of frustration from a worryingly small Ewood Park crowd who gave their full backing to the players as well venting their anger at the club’s absent owners.

Rovers boss Coyle made two changes to the team that started the 2-1 defeat at Cardiff City on Wednesday as he attempted to halt a run of three straight league defeats.

With Shane Duffy suspended after he followed his two first-half own goals against the Bluebirds with a reckless second-half sending off, Academy graduate Scott Wharton came in for his senior debut.

It was a proud moment for the 18-year-old lifelong Rovers fan from Salesbury.

And he more than held his own alongside the 35-year-old Gordon Greer, winning a series of crucial headers before he was beaten by Naylor’s late leveller.

There was also a first start for the club for on-loan Southampton striker Gallagher who was rewarded for his lively appearance off the bench against Cardiff.

Coyle had called on Rovers to continue their strong finish to the Bluebirds clash and, with the wantaway Ben Marshall looking much more like it, initially at least, they did show signs of improvement.

With ‘we want Venky’s out’ ringing out from the Bryan Douglas Darwen End, Gallagher raced on to a well-flighted pass over the top from Marshall.

But, after bringing the ball down, John Mousinho nicked it off his foot.

Marshall then saw a shot saved at the near post before Gallagher played in Graham who would have been clear through on goal with a better touch.

But the deadlock was broken in stunning fashion in the 25th minute by Conway who took a pass from Graham and switched the ball on to his left foot before letting flying with an unstoppable shot that crashed down in off the bar.

It was Conway’s first goal of the season and the first time Rovers had taken the lead in the league in 2016-17.

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But they were unable to build on it and the Brewers dominated the final 10 minutes of the opening period with Irvine and Lucas Akins seeing decent chances come and go before parity was restored in the 43rd minute.

No pressure was applied to Burton captain Mousinho whose cross found the unmarked and untracked Irvine who beat Steele with a diving header.

And it would have got worse for Rovers had Chris O’Grady and Akins not got in each other’s way trying to turn in a corner.

The, just on the stroke of half-time, Steele made a good save from Naylor after O’Grady pulled the ball back from the byline.

Naylor went closer still in the 57th minute with a brilliantly stuck 25-yard drive which beat Steele all ends up but cannoned back off the crossbar.

But it was Rovers who did most of the running straight after the restart and Hope Akpan flicked over when well placed from a Conway free kick.

Conway should have done better himself when given a shooting opportunity by Gallagher.

But with the Ronnie Clayton Blackburn End in full, inspirational voice, and with chants of ‘there’s only one Jack Walker’ followed by ‘we wants Venky’s out’, Rovers went back in front in the 61st minute.

Conway was the creator, swinging in as a corner from the left to the near post where Gallagher powered a header past Jon McLaughlin in the Burton goal.

And that was the way it stayed until the 88th minute when Matt Palmer’s corner to the back post was headed in by Naylor.

MATCH FACTS

Rovers: Steele, Lowe, Greer, Wharton, Hendrie, Marshall (Feeney 84), Akpan, Byrne (Lenihan 61), Conway, Gallagher, Graham (Stokes 73). Subs not used: Raya, Guthrie, Mahoney, Doyle.

Booked: Graham, Lowe.

Goals: Conway 25, Gallagher 61.

Burton: McLaughlan, Mousinho (Williamson 51), McFadzean, Turner, Palmer, Naylor, Akins, Irvine, Dyer, Beavon (Butcher 62), O’Grady (Choudhury 86). Subs not used: Bywater, McCrory, Fox, Delaney.

Booked: Mousinho.

Goals: Irvine 43, Naylor 88.

Referee: Peter Bankes.

Attendance: 10,356 (477 away).