TOWN’S patchy home form continues to undermine their bid to climb the League I table.

That’s six Galpharm games gone, and just one win to cheer the faithful.

At least Stan Ternent’s team emerged with a point, because it was well-organised Bristol Rovers who created the clearer-cut chances.

The home team went into the match on a high after their comprehensive win at Swindon seven days previously.

And they made a strong start, taking the lead with just six minutes and 25 seconds gone when Michael Flynn drilled in his fifth goal of the season.

Had loan debutant Steve Jones doubled the lead on the half hour – and the Burnley man admitted he should have done better with a header which went wide – then Town might well have gone on to collect a second home success to go with the win over Northampton a month ago.

But that was their only other genuine effort on goal, and by that stage, the visitors were looking dangerous.

It took some smart saves by Matt Glennon and good blocks by a variety of defenders to keep Paul Trollope’s men at bay before the break.

They finally forced the equaliser they had been threatening seven minutes after half time, with top scorer Rickie Lambert turning in his 10th goal of the campaign.

Try as they might, Town couldn’t build any momentum, and the game petered out, much to the frustration of the home supporters in a 13,779 crowd (323 in the away end).

Jones for Danny Cadamarteri was the only change from the side which started at Swindon, and Ternent stuck with the 4-3-3 formation which has served Town well in recent matches.

Jones, playing his first competitive senior match of the campaign, was soon involved, and his link play with Jim Goodwin and Gary Roberts initiated Town’s goal, with Worthington playing in Liam Dickinson.

The on-loan Derby man couldn’t get past the Rovers rearguard, but as Byron Anthony tackled him, the ball fell straight into the path of Flynn, who drilled a low right-foot shot past Steve Phillips from the edge of the box.

Roberts had a 15th-minute shot deflected for a corner, then sent an audacious 17th-minute lob well wide after Phillips came out of his area to head clear from Dickinson.

Jones’ fluffed header followed neat play by Dickinson, who picked out Roberts for a good delivery from the left.

But Bristol were by now looking the sharper of the two sides in attack.

Goodwin did well to head clear David Pipe’s 22nd-minute cross under pressure from Jeff Hughes, then Joe Skarz produced a vital block as the ball was pumped back in.

Then in the 28th minute, Glennon and Goodwin combined to thwart Darryl Duffy as he ran onto Craig Disley’s diagonal through ball.

Lambert headed over from close range from Pipe’s cross after firing first a 29th-minute free-kick, then the rebound, into the Town wall.

Then, on 33 minutes, Glennon blocked with his legs from Hughes after Chris Lines opened up the home defence.

A minute later, Duffy had a shot on the turn saved, then Nathan Clarke came to Glennon’s rescue after the keeper misjudged a looping ball towards Disley.

Skarz produced a key clearance as Hughes crossed for Duffy in first-half stoppage time, and Worthington blocked superbly as Lines shaped to shoot barely a minute into the second half.

Flynn fired wide from distance as Town attacked in the 52nd-minute, but less than 60 seconds later, Rovers were level, Lambert dispatching Disley’s pull-back from the dead-ball line.

Shots from Flynn and substitute Michael Collins which went well over were the closest Town came to restoring their lead.

Meanwhile Glennon saved headers from Lambert (61st minute) and Duffy (72nd) while Disley fired wide when meeting Stuart Campbell’s 69th-minute cross.