Everton Reserves have been held to a goalless draw by Blackburn.
The Toffees' best opportunity was a 69th minute penalty that Lee Molyneux saw saved.
Blackburn had the first strike at goal on two minutes when Sergio Peter struck a free kick wide of Jamie Jones' left-hand post.
Tony Hibbert was showing his usual tenacity at right-back, and he earned a ticking off from the referee after a typically committed sliding challenge.
The visitors had a couple more long range efforts go off target before Everton registered a significant threat on goal.
John Paul Kissock played in Molyneux on the left and his driven cross just evaded Aidan Downes. The ball was then returned to the centre by Shaun Densmore but Kissock's effort was way over.
Then a foul on Kieran Agard in the 19th minute provided Molyneux, who had just been booked, the opportunity to fire in a free kick that went just over the bar.
Rovers' Swiss left-back Bruno Berner blasted over an effort from the left-hand side in an opening period that was littered with fouls.
Agard bustled through on goal and his attentions required Blackburn's Dean Winnard to clear the ball off the line after it had cannoned off a teammate seven minutes before half time.
Aidan Downes - just back from a serious knee problem - suffered more despair after landing awkwardly and rolling off the pitch. He was eventually replaced by Stephen Connor but not before Keith Barker had missed a sitter for the visitors from inside the six-yard box.
Ryan Harpur had a drive deflected wide early in the second period before a well-executed volley from Kissock was superby tipped over by Frank Fielding in Rovers' goal.
The likes of Kissock, Agard and Connor were showing some nice touches, but the Blues - and their opponents for that matter lacked the penetration in the final third.
That looked like changing on 66 minutes when Kissock showed great skill to dance into the box, only to see his curled effort go just wide of the post.
More neat footwork two minutes later saw the Toffees presented with a great chance to take the lead. Connor darted past Eddie Nolan and the Rovers skipper could only haul him down inside the box.
Molyneux couldn't capitalise though as his spot-kick was saved by Fielding as he dived low to his left.
The miss could have been instantly punished but Berner couldn't direct his header under the crossbar from close in.
Unlucky Everton were forced into another substitution when Harpur limped off to be replaced by Steven Morrison.
And the visitors could have snatched it inside the last five minutes when a fierce effort from Keith Treacy smashed the underside of the bar, and Jones had to tip another shot from the same player round the post in injury time.
