Another away trip in the Championship, another goalless draw for Burton Albion.
The Brewers are becoming a tough nut to crack on the road, no matter the form of their hosts.
Because, make no mistake, Bristol City were in sparkling form heading into this under-the-lights clash at Ashton Gate.
They could have moved into the top two with a win.
Instead, they found Albion - fresh off consecutive four-goal defeats - in obstinate mood, and returned to the ruthlessly committed and organised form that clinched valuable points at Norwich City and QPR before.
Ben Turner's return from a hamstring injury was one of three changes made by Nigel Clough at Ashton Gate following that 4-0 home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers before the international break.
![Joe Mason of Burton Albion](https://i2-prod.staffordshire-live.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/article626421.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/JoeMasonRichardBurleyEpicActionImagery.jpg)
The other two came up front, with the pace of Joe Mason and Luke Varney seen as the best option to unlock the Robins defence.
The 3-5-2 formation remained, with goalkeeper Stephen Bywater behind a back three of Jake Buxton, Kyle McFadzean and Turner.
Lucas Akins' tour of the Burton Albion team continued with a move to right-wing-back, where he impressed in the early stages of last season, while Stephen Warnock started on the other flank.
Luke Murphy, Jamie Allen and Hope Akpan were retained as the central midfield three.
The retention of this particular shape was a reminder of how effectively it had worked in the goalless draws at Norwich and QPR last month.
In both of those games, Albion kept their opponents honest at the back by threatening in attack, while staying frustratingly miserly at the back.
![Burton Albion midfielder Lucas Akins in action against Bristol City](https://i2-prod.staffordshire-live.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/article626400.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/LucasAkinsRichardBurleyEpicActionImagery.jpg)
The early focus against the Robins, though, was always likely to be at one end of the pitch, given their defensive struggles in their previous two home outings.
And that defensive commitment - questioned by Clough after the Wolves game - was duly tested in the opening 20 minutes, with the in-form Robins tearing out of the blocks as quickly as each member of the 18,212-strong crowd would have expected them to do.
Jamie Paterson drove over from 20 yards after centre-half Nathan Baker picked out a sloppy Warnock pass in midfield, a sign that wastefulness in possession would not go well.
Albion did not immediately learn their lesson, though, and found themselves pinned back too regularly by rushing a clearance to the feet of a red-shirted body or miscuing a pass to allow the Robins' pressure to get them back on the front foot quickly.
It then took tidy saves from Bywater to deny Bobby Reid in quick succession at his near post.
![Bristol City's Bobby Reid has a shot blocked by Burton Albion defender Kyle McFadzean](https://i2-prod.staffordshire-live.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/article626381.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/BobbyReidMichaelSteeleGettyImages.jpg)
On both occasions, the lively Bristol forward was able to spin away from the Brewers defence and find space, only to be well thwarted.
The first of those chances may well have still ended up in the net, though, had Buxton not timed his covering well enough to deny Famara Diehdhiou, who was lurking and ready to poke the rebound home from Bywater's save.
Burton's rearguard continued to be called into action as the opening passages progressed, with the ball not sticking up top.
With the hosts' early forays foiled and their patience around the edge of the box going unrewarded, a more direct approach played into Albion's hands, McFadzean racing up to cut out several balls into feet and then joining his centre-halves to power headers clear.
Albion's sporadic threats came through Akins at first, the versatile former Stevenage man wriggling past Joe Bryan to deliver a couple of crosses or cut back for Akpan, who himself saw a low delivery well held by Frankie Fielding.
![Nigel Clough and Lee Johnson](https://i2-prod.staffordshire-live.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/article626289.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/NigelCloughLeeJohnsonRichardBurleyEpicActionImagery.jpg)
The odd loose ball in midfield hinted at a Burton break, but too often the passer was not in tandem with the runner, and the danger went without a telling blow landed.
Instead, it was an evening reminiscent of some of the away trips made by Burton in the second half of last season.
Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday. Do not let them through.
City's hopes of doing just that and finding a route past Burton's rearguard looked to have presented itself just after the hour mark.
Reid found the ball at his feet in the Brewers box and rifled an unstoppable rising shot past Bywater and into the top right corner of his goal.
But referee James Linington had already blown for a foul on Murphy in the build up, much to the frustration of the vociferous home support.
![Burton Albion players warming up before their match against Bristol City at Ashton Gate](https://i2-prod.staffordshire-live.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/article626285.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/BurtonAlbionRichardBurleyEpicActionImagery.jpg)
Corners came and went as the Robins threw wave after wave of pressure towards Burton's 18-yard box.
To no avail.
Indeed, Albion's ambition seemed to grow as their hosts' toiled further.
The late introductions of Matty Lund, Marvin Sordell and Lloyd Dyer added a freshness upfield after the removal of Varney and Mason, who had hardly been given a chance to settle once on the ball under the watchful eye of Aden Flint but had nonetheless run themselves into the ground.
That allowed them more presence on the break - and it almost paid dividends in the final 10 minutes.
Sordell latched onto a long ball upfield and cut inside his marker in the box to free up room for a right-footed shot.
He curled the ball towards the right of Fielding and it looked goalbound, only for Flint - September's player of the month and a colossus in this game - to get a telling header in the way.
It would have been the smashiest and grabbiest of smash-and-grabs - but the Brewers' solidity would have got the fullest of rewards if the ball had nestled in the net.
Instead, a third successive away game in the Championship finished goalless for Clough's Albion, moving them above Brentford and Reading in the table, at least until the pair play later this weekend.
Just as after their 5-0 humbling at Leeds United at the start of September, the Brewers showed why any questioning of their character should be short-lived.