Town’s game against Derby County at Pride Park remains 0-0 at half-time.
Grant Ward returned to the Blues starting line-up for the suspended Tayo Edun on the left of midfield in an otherwise unchanged side.
For Derby, Martyn Waghorn dropped to the bench alongside Jack Marriott, while former loanee Tom Lawrence started, as did Town nemesis David Nugent, who was looking to add to his 15 goals in 16 games against the Blues.
Craig Bryson hit the game’s first effort over in the second minute after Lawrence had been crowded out on the right of the box with the Rams starting brightly.
Town’s first shot came on eight after a Gwion Edwards cross from the right had reached Trevoh Chalobah on the edge of the box but the on-loan Chelsea man shot weakly wide.
There was a scare for the Blues on 15 when Chalobah’s poor pass allowed Mason Mount to break inside the Town half but Bryson’s cross was too far in front of Nugent at the back post.
Town broke from the subsequent corner and Bryson was shown the game’s first yellow card for a cynical foul on Ward in front of the Blues’ technical area, almost sending Blues boss Hurst crashing as well as the midfielder.
On 17 Nolan shot powerfully but wide following a Town freekick on the left, then with the game continuing to be a stop-start, scruffy affair Derby were forced into a change in the 27th minute when George Evans suffered a knock. Wales international Joe Ledley took over.
Blues nemesis Nugent shot wide from the edge of the box in the 35th minute, then two minutes later Mount crossed from the right, Bartosz Bialkowski punched to the 18-yard line from where Bryson scuffed a shot into a Town player.
The Blues had spent most of the period in their own half albeit without Derby looking overly threatening for the most part but on 40 Ward twisted and turned in the box having seen his first shot blocked and his second effort took a deflection but fortunately flew straight to Scott Carson in the Rams goal.
Two minutes later Ellis Harrison caught one-time Town academy schoolboy and ballboy Richard Keogh in possession on halfway and the Ireland international hauled him down and was deservedly shown the yellow card by referee Scott Duncan.
Just prior to the fourth official holding up his board to indicate three additional minutes, a loose ball fell to Chalobah following a corner but the midfielder screwed his shot high and wide.
The scoreline remained 0-0 at the break which was a fair reflection of a not particularly enthralling first half of few chances at both ends.
Derby had had most of the ball but had been unable to force Bialkowski into a save with their rather ponderous approach.
Carson had also been relatively untroubled, Ward’s late effort aside, although the Rams hadn’t looked entirely comfortable defending Town corners. Blues boss Paul Hurst is likely to have been the happier of the two managers walking off at the break.
Derby: Carson, Forsyth, Bryson, Tomori, Keogh (c), Mount, Lawrence, Evans (Ledley 27), Bennett, Nugent, Bogle. Unused: Roos, Wisdom, Waghorn, Jozefzoon, Marriott, Lowe.
Town: Bialkowski, Donacien, Nsiala, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Chalobah, Skuse, Ward, Nolan, Edwards, Harrison. Unused: Gerken, Jackson, Spence, Roberts, Sears, Downes. Kenlock. Referee: Scott Duncan (Northumberland).