Joe Rothwell came off the bench to score with his first touch – while another substitute had a chance to snatch it late on – as Rovers came from behind to draw 1-1 with West Brom at Ewood Park.

Rothwell turned home a Sam Gallagher cross just seconds after the pair were introduced as part of a quadruple change made midway through the second half.

And Jacob Davenport had a golden chance to win it off the bench after his arrival, only to be denied one-on-one by Sam Johnstone.

In a breathless finish, Lewis Holtby, another of Rovers’ subs, had an effort cleared off the line as Rovers enjoyed the better of the closing stages.

But they had fallen behind for the seventh game in a row, Filip Krovinovic having put the visitors ahead four minutes before break.

He hit the post at the start of the second half, while Rovers ‘keeper Christian Walton made a string of important stops in both halves to keep his side in the game.

A point takes Rovers to 60, level with last season’s tally, with three games to try and put daylight between that number.

Tony Mowbray was afforded the luxury of naming an unchanged team, and he did just that, for the first time in nine matches.

That saw Dominic Samuel remain in the starting line-up and good work down the right in the second minute saw him cross for Adam Armstrong, but from 18 yards, rather than his customary 45 yards, he was unable to find the target.

Both sides were matched up 4-3-3 and enjoying long spells of possession in what was always likely to be an open game given the need for points for both.  

Charlie Austin was flagged offside in the ninth minute, denied at point-blank by Christian Walton, anyway, as Rovers tried to play a high line.

Few players had given Ryan Nyambe a tough test in the Championship this season, but Kamil Grosicki was doing just that as he showed his pace to trouble the Rovers full back, eventually cutting inside him before curling goalwards which required Walton to tip behind at full stretch.

That high line was called in to question again in the 19th minute, Mateus Pereira this time taking advantage, and as Rovers scrambled back, he squared for Austin who should have at least hit the target as he fired over from 12 yards.

Pereira was starting on the right, but drifting all over the pitch, and demonstrating just why he’s one of the division’s hottest properties. He ghosted his way through two challenges, after Rovers had lost the ball, with Tosin Adarabioyo well placed to deflect his shot behind.

It meant for a balancing act for Rovers who while enjoying plenty of the ball, couldn’t afford to push too many men forward given Albion’s threat on the counter.

Sam Johnstone hadn’t been overly stretched in the opening half an hour, but didn’t look confident as Lewis Travis swung in a cross from the right, helped out by his defenders as he got nowhere near it, before Darragh Lenihan thumped an effort wide when advancing forward.

Walton was having a big say in the game after the other end though, keeping the scores level with some important stops, none moreso than being quickly off his line nine minutes before the break to deny Austin at point-blank range after another slide-rule Pereira pass.

When the opening goal did arrive for the visitors, it was no surprise that Pereira was at the heart of it, or that it would come from a ball over the top. As Rovers appealed, and looked to have good reason to, Pereira found Austin who teed up Filip Krovinovic, back in the starting line-up, to calmly volley home.

Lenihan was furious with the official, who didn’t look to be up with play, as Rovers found themselves behind for the seventh game in a row.

They could have been level before half-time, or 2-0 down. Graham thought he had scored, when diverting Lenihan’s header goalwards, only for the sprawling Johnstone to keep his header out right on the goal-line.

Jake Livermore, in the book for a heavy challenge on Joe Rankin-Costello, then almost doubled the visitors’ lead as they poured forward again, but his shot was too close to Walton who saved again.

West Brom were quickly out the of the blocks in the second half, sensing a second goal could well be enough to kill Rovers off.

Walton was again in their way, saving from Pereira just four minutes after the re-start, but had the post to thank for denying Krovinovic on the follow-up.

Rovers were looking a little ragged, losing the midfield battle and unable to get any of their front players in to the game.

It required fresh faces, and they arrived on the hour mark, four in total as Elliott Bennett, Joe Rothwell, Lewis Holtby and Sam Gallagher all arrived.

Mowbray couldn’t have imagined a better impact from his substitutes, three of them linking up within seconds of coming as Joe Rothwell equalised with his first touch. Bennett found Gallagher whose cut back took the West Brom defenders out of the game, running perfectly for Rothwell to slide in to the corner for his first Championship goal of the season.

It was a lead that would have lasted seconds though had Grady Diangana not missed his kick, with the goal at his mercy, from Hal Robson-Kanu’s square pass, as the West Brom subs tried to have an impact.

Walton was continuing to repel them though, having to be at full stretch to keep out a swerving Darragh O’Shea shot, which Lenihan quickest to the rebound.

Gallagher was then required in his own box, blocking Semi Ajayi’s goalbound effort as West Brom made the most of some loose Rovers passing.

As the changes took effect, and the game ticked on, what had been a watchable game all afternoon became particularly open.

And it was now Rovers who were on top, and should have been ahead. A racing break after a West Brom corner saw Gallagher cushion the ball in to Jacob Davenport’s path, freshly on to the pitch. He bore down on goal from 20 yards, but Johnstone came up with the save to deny him.

Rothwell was at the heart of things moments later, founding Gallagher who went down in the box under pressure, but after no foul was given, he found Holtby’s whose flick beat Johnstone, but not with the necessary power to get beyond Bartley on the line.

Things were getting heated on and off the pitch, Rovers captain Lenihan booked after grappling for the ball with West Brom boss Slaven Bilic, and his assistant, as neither side refused to give an inch

There was time for a winner, as five minutes were added on, with Diangana unable to hit the target from 20 yards as Rovers backed off.

But the sides trudged off with a point apiece after a feisty finish at Ewood.

Rovers: Walton, Nyambe (Bennett, 60), Adarabioyo, Lenihan, Rankin-Costello, Travis, Johnson (Rothwell, 60), Downing (Davenport, 75), Samuel (Rothwell, 60), Armstrong (Gallagher, 60), Graham

Subs: Leutwiler, Mulgrew, Buckley, Carter

West Brom: Johnstone, O’Shea, Bartley, Ajayi, Townsend, Livermore (Harper, 68), Sawyers, Krovinovic (Robinson, 80), Pereira, Grosicki (Diangana, 59), Austin (Robson-Kanu, 59)

Subs: Bond, Furlong, Hegazi, Brunt, Phillips