Coventry City failed to register an effort on target at the CBS Arena as they were held to a goalless draw by Middlesbrough in the Championship play-off semi-final first leg.
Michael Carrick's Boro were the greater threat in a tense but poor contest.
They came closest to scoring when Chuba Akpom and Isaiah Jones brought first-half saves from keeper Ben Wilson.
Mark Robins' side will need to improve in Wednesday's second leg at the Riverside Stadium.
The Championship's two top scorers, 29-goal Akpom and City's 21-goal striker Viktor Gyokeres, managed just one effort on target effort between them, when Wilson touched the Middlesbrough forward's shot on to the bar.