Exeter City 0 Bristol Rovers 0 - Bristol Rovers will need to improve on a lacklustre opening period if they are to collect all three points and keep their season alive at St James Park this evening.

A struggling Exeter side desperate for points in a bid to avoid relegation following a run of nine winless games shaded the opening 45 minutes – although chances for either side have been few and far between.

Paul Tisdale's side crafted the best of a meager few – although Paul Trollope's side have rarely looked under the cosh – and – a few scares a side – have looked relatively comfortable in keeping their opponents at bay.

There has been, however, little of the spark going forward which Rovers showed on their last outing on the road when they demolished play-off chasing Swindon Town 4-0 at the County Ground almost a fortnight ago.

The Grecians enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges and had three quick chances to forge an early lead. A clever pass from midfielder James Dunne left the Rovers back four floundering to put top-scorer Adam Stansfield through on goal. The weighted ball was a touch to heavy and Mikkel Andersen was quickly off his line to smother.

The Grecians' began to dominate and only the merest of margins denied Ryan Harley a goal with a curling free-kick from the edge of the penalty area after Danny Coles had scythed down Marcus Stewart.

The closest Rovers came in the opening twenty minutes came from the unlikeliest of sources. Byron Anthony was considered an 'outside chance' to even play after picking up a serious-looking leg injury against Tranmere on Saturday – but the Welshman made a quick recovery to feature and almost made his mark with a goal after rattling the crossbar when trying his luck from all off 35 yards.

Dunne – not to be outdone – went straight up the other end and tried a speculative effort from similar distance. The ball dipped and curled to leave Andersen helpless; the Danish goalkeeper relieved to see it fly narrowly the wrong side of an upright.

Both sides continued to knock the ball around in a fashion that was pleasing on the eye, but lacking in any sort of penetration. The only other real chance of the opening period coming five minutes from the break when a Jeff Hughes cross fell kindly for Paul Heffernan.

The on-loan striker shaped to arrow the ball home from close range but was thwarted at the last by a competent last-ditch block by defender Rob Edwards.

Rovers (4-4-2): Andersen; Anthony, Coles, Elliott, Jones; Blizzard, Campbell, Lines, Hughes; Kuffour, Heffernan. Subs: Evans, Regan, Wright, Reece, Swallow, Williams, Richards.

Exeter (3-5-2): Jones; Duffy, Taylor, Edwards; Tully, Harley, Dunne, Sercombe, Friend; Stewart, Stansfield. Subs: Marriott, Golbourne, Cozic, Saunders, Logan,Burnell, Haber.