Derby County 0-0 Middlesbrough: Rooney's Rams in stalemate with Boro
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Wayne Rooney's Derby side have taken five points from their opening four Championship games
Derby County and Middlesbrough had to settle for a draw at Pride Park with neither side able to find a way to break the deadlock.
The Rams looked the more fluent side before the break with Max Bird twice foiled by keeper Joe Lumley.
Kelle Roos saved with his feet to deny Uche Ikpeazu at the other end, but the Middlesbrough attack did little to unsettle the Derby central defensive pairing of Phil Jagielka and Curtis Davies - with a combined age of 75.
The second half was a different story with Boro carrying a far greater threat and sub Jonny Howson forced Roos into a smart save to his left before Matt Crooks glanced a header against the bar and over from Marc Bola's cross.
Neil Warnock, with only one win in his past six visits to Derby as a manager, brought Sam Morsy, Marcus Tavernier and Lee Peltier into his starting line-up following a midweek defeat by QPR.
It was Rooney, though, who was the happier at the interval with Lumley keeping out Sam Baldock's angled shot, as well as his pair of saves from Bird, the second following a one-on-one.
The Boro keeper was in action again following the restart to keep out a shot by Louie Sibley, but Boro lifted their game after Ikpeazu headed over from Paddy McNair's cross with a series of attacks, and Jagielka was shown the yellow card for a foul on Howson.
Crooks came the closest to an opening goal, but Derby could have snatched it late on, only for Louie Watson nor Jack Stretton to fail to direct their efforts on target.
Derby boss Wayne Rooney told BBC Radio Derby:
"We got dragged into their game in the second half, but I was pleased with how the lads got through it - I think last season that's a game we'd have gone on to lose.
"In the end, a point was a fair result, but in these games we have to be braver. First half, we were brave and caused them problems, we didn't do that in the second half.
"The composure we showed at the back, we need to take that into the final third (of the pitch) as well, and that's something we're working on.
"It's two clean sheets in a row - and I'm pleased with that."
Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock told BBC Tees:
"We were a little bit apprehensive in the first half - we knew what they were going to play like and we never really got on the front foot.
"I was glad when half-time came and we sorted it out. We were a lot more positive and I thought we dominated large parts of the second half.
"Phil Jagielka should have been sent off. I'm not sure the referee even saw it because he asked the fourth official, who said yellow card.
"When you look at it, the follow-through is horrendous. Jonny's lucky it hasn't snapped his leg. That's a red card any day of the week."