Rovers were denied three times by the woodwork in the second half at Cardiff City – but came away with a point courtesy of a late Adam Armstrong strike.

Armstrong’s 20th league goal of the season had drawn Rovers level at the end of the first half, before his 21st earned them a point in the dying stages of the game.

Will Vaulks and Joe Ralls had scored for the hosts in either and had looked to have condemned Rovers to yet another defeat, despite dominating in the second half.

There they hit the woodwork, Sam Gallagher, Bradley Johnson and Barry Douglas the unlucky parties, but Rovers had Armstrong to thank for finding the back of the net twice to earn them a point.

It was no less than they deserved for their second half display, as lacking purpose in the first half, they improved after the break to pose much more of a threat to the Bluebirds goal.

After the players and officials observed a two minute silence, less than 90 seconds after kick-off Rovers had a glorious chance to open the scoring. Elliott got down the right and pulled the ball back for Armstrong who should have done better when dragging his shot wide of the target.

An open start brought chances for both sides, Kieffer Moore fizzing a ball across the box which Marlon Pack went within inches of turning home.

The giant figure of Moore was causing problems, having too much speed for Darragh Lenihan in the ninth minute, driving away from the Rovers captain and into the box where his break was ended by a fine covering Tom Trybull.

The Welsh striker then evaded the Rovers defence, who appealed for offside, to chest down a right wing cross and then volleyed wide, possibly not knowing how much time he had eight yards out.

A big moment in the game then saw Rovers fortunate to escape a red card. Thomas Kaminski was committed off his line as he looked to clear a ball forward as a gaping hole opened up in the he Rovers defence. Harry Wilson was too quick for the keeper however, getting to the ball before the Belgian goalkeeper who could do nothing more than bring him down, and was very fortunate to escape only with a yellow card.

Spaces were opening up too frequently for Rovers at the back, while as an attacking force they were unable to find a link to Armstrong who was isolated in attack.

Moore was having much more of an effect on the game, linking up again with Wilson who curled over from the edge of the box. The danger wasn’t over for Rovers however, the referee bringing the play back for a free kick that was rolled into the path of Vaulks who hammered a shot beyond Kaminski who did get a hand to it.

It was a deserved lead for the Bluebirds on the balance of play, Taylor Harwood-Bellis blocking a Tom Sang shot as things threatened to get worse just after the half hour mark.

Rovers did manage their first shot on target of the game 10 minutes before the break, all the doing of Sam Gallagher as he drove clear of the Cardiff midfield to shoot goalwards, Alex Smithies holding onto his effort.

The ‘keeper would gift Rovers an equaliser though on the stroke of half time. Rovers broke down their right, Elliott feeding Armstrong who cut back onto his left foot, his shot squirming through the hands of the Cardiff stopper and into the net.

Armstrong had been buoyed by his end to the first half as he started the second in confident mood. He was the provider for Elliott as he played the Liverpool loanee clean through, only to be denied by an excellent covering challenge.

He then played the ball into the path of Gallagher whose thumping effort cracked the inside of the post, and from the rebound, he shot into the side netting, all by the time the 50th minute had been reached.

Rovers were in the ascendancy still as the hour mark approached, Smithies needing two attempts to save an Armstrong snapshot from the edge of the area.

The hosts still carried a threat however, and showed their teeth in the 62nd minute, Wilson getting away from Lenihan and into the box, his shot lacking any power, but Kaminski needed two attempts to save when off balance moving to his right.

Having been denied by one post, Rovers then hit the other. It was the surprise figure of Bradley Johnson breaking beyond the last man to collect a Douglas pass, skip inside Brown, with his shot beating Smithies, but not the near post.

Having hit both posts, Rovers were then denied by the crossbar. Barry Douglas stood over a free kick that curled over the wall, and with Smithies beaten, the ball crashed back off the crossbar.

If Rovers were counting themselves unfortunate, they behind seconds later, substitute Joe Ralls played in by Wilson and able to shoot beyond Kaminski.

Rovers responded by making all five changes in one go, their search for an equaliser going into the final 10 minutes.

They were camped in the Cardiff half, with Wilson going close to a long-range strike for the hosts, from close to the halfway line, Kaminski getting back in time to palm his effort away.

Armstrong then led the charge from closer in for Rovers, his shot flashing wide of the far post, with Smithies not getting across to his left foot strike, while Brereton’s right foot shot suffered the same fate.

Yet there was a late, and deserved, equaliser for Rovers, that man Armstrong running onto a Holtby pass to fire beyond Smithies as the added time was announced.

Cardiff City: Smithies, Nelson, Flint, Brown, Sang, Pack, Vaulks, Ng, Wilson (Williams, 90), Murphy (Ralls, 62), Moore

Subs: Phillips, Osei-Tutu, Watters, Ojo, Harris, Hoilett, Colwill

Rovers: Kaminski, Nyambe, Lenihan, Harwood-Bellis, Douglas, Trybull (Downing, 78), Johnson (Davenport, 78), Travis (Holtby, 78), Elliott (Dolan, 78), Armstrong, Gallagher (Brereton, 78)

Subst: Pears, Bell, Branthwaite, Bennett