Both sides have rebuilt during the summer with seven signings apiece but the Yorkshire club, masterminded by Sean Thornton, were always a pace sharper.
For the all the summer activity, fewer than half of the new signings were on view at the start although the trio from Sunderland were - City's strikers Michael Bridges and Marcus Stewart and Rovers' Thornton.
Thornton, a £175,000 buy, had an impressive debut as a busy schemer while his old club mates found themselves held by two solid centre-backs in Steve Foster and ex-Aberdeen man Phil McGuire.
Stewart, who had been carrying a slight calf injury throughout pre-season, had just one scoring chance, a first-half header from a Bridges cross which went just outside an inviting far post.
With all the attention on the new strikeforce it was Grant Smith – a signing from Swindon – that almost took City into the lead. It took a sharp tackle from Foster to deny him as he burst in from the left.
Then from the corner Smith pulled out a 20-yard cracker which Rovers keeper Andy Warrington did well to fend away for another flag kick.
But City were not alone in being denied a first half goal. Mike McIndoe, Darlington's top scorer last season, found only a tame shot after his speed had carried him past Louis Carey on the left.
Still he won a corner and his cross drew an excellent save by Steve Phillips from Paul Green's strong downward header.
McIndoe's speed always worried City and early in the second half he was in again with a diving header to meet a Thornton free-kick which flew just wide.
Thornton was taken off with less than 15 minutes to go to save him for the busy start of the season when fixtures come fast and furious and his removal almost cost his side the points.
His replacement, Stephen Roberts, mis-timed a back pass and Warrington had to run out and make a diving block from Cole Skuse.