Darren Ferguson refused to give up on promotion despite seeing Peterborough blow their penultimate chance to climb back into the Sky Bet League One play-off places.
Posh drew a blank in front of goal for the eighth time on home turf this term when they were held to a stalemate by a Bristol Rovers side who had lost their previous three games.
Top goalscorer Jonson Clarke-Harris glanced their best opportunity wide with 15 minutes to go against his former team – just before League One player of the season Aaron Collins almost struck for Rovers but was denied by home goalkeeper Will Norris.
Posh must now win at Barnsley on the final day of the season to stand a chance of sneaking into the top six, with a two-point deficit to sixth-placed Derby to overcome.
Ferguson said: “We’ve not scored in three of the last four games which is unusual, and in six home games since I came back – which is really not a good stat.
“I know there will be a big frustration that we couldn’t make points up on Derby by winning this game, but I can’t fault the players as they gave absolutely everything to the last second.
“It all goes down to the last day of the season and we’re in a situation where two teams already guaranteed places in the play-offs (Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley) play two teams trying to get in there in Derby and ourselves.
“Derby obviously have a big advantage so we have to hope we win and they lose – and stranger things have happened than that.
“But if we don’t do our job – like we didn’t do today – we’re not going to get in the play-offs.”
Rovers chief Joey Barton said: “Players like Jono (Clarke-Harris) and Azza (Collins) get all the plaudits for scoring goals and winning games, so it’s sod’s law on a day where two of the most free-scoring forwards in the division play each other it ends up 0-0.
“I felt the better chances were probably ours and I’m a bit frustrated we couldn’t put one of them away.
“It was easier for us than Peterborough as the pressure was on them. They played really well up until the final third, but we have to be given credit for that as we set up in a deeper block than we usually do to make it difficult for them.
“We’d gladly swap our position for theirs to have a live chance of getting into the play-offs on the final day of the season.
“We went into the last day of last season needing to score to get promotion and we did it, so you have to keep believing and good luck to Peterborough against Barnsley.”
