TONY Mowbray admitted Albion's failure to take their chances in today's goalless draw at Blackburn summed up a season of frustration in front of goal.

But the Baggies boss is hoping the clean sheet - only his side's eighth in the league this season - is a sign of good things to come in the Championship next term.

Both sides rattled the woodwork in the first half at Ewood Park as Chris Samba and Chris Brunt both went close to opening the scoring.

But the visitors - helped by the 71st-minute dismissal of ex-Baggie Jason Roberts - should have bid farewell to the Barclays Premier League with what would have been only their second win on the road this campaign as Marc-Antoine Fortune, Brunt and Jonathan Greening wasted golden chances.

"I think we deserved to win the game on the balance of chances created," said Mowbray.

"They had a few spells in the first half and hit the post.

"But, generally, I thought we did well and controlled the football match.

"We missed some pretty good opportunities.

"You've seen that every week - but that's where we are.

"It's frustrating because we can dominate games with the ball - but we've got to be more clinical.

"The top teams are more clinical and we've got to add that to our game.

"Today wasn't necessarily the full story of our season because we didn't concede a goal.

"We always show a lot of good movement, have a lot of possession and get into good areas but generally we don't kill teams off.

"It wouldn't have been too much of a surprise to me if we had been sat here reflecting on a 1-0 defeat after conceding from a set-piece late on.

"But we kept a clean sheet today, which was good for the defence and Dean Kiely.

"Hopefully, that's a good omen moving on to next season."

Due to injuries the Hawthorns chief included 17-year-old's Paul Downing and Romaine Sawyers in a matchday squad for the first time.

And fellow Academy starlet Chris Wood made his second top-flight appearance as a 90th-minute sub, as Albion maintained their record of never being beaten on the final day of a Barclays Premier League season.