TO OVERCOME any Spanish side, a team requires speed, swagger and composure.

Blackburn Rovers fans would not have been overly convinced that their team could display those traits against Girona FC after failing to beat the lower ranked Morecambe, Rochdale and Blackpool in their last three games.

But they needn’t have panicked, for Owen Coyle’s men, despite being held to a draw against the Catalan side, showed technical prowess throughout and the former Clarets boss may have finally proved that his side have the ability to finish high up the Championship table this season.

It was the penultimate game of the pre-season and the only home fixture ahead of the visit of Norwich City next week for the start of the Championship season.

The first serving of glory went to Ben Marshall who produced a powerful 20-yard strike to put Rovers in front after 27 minutes.

But their lead lasted just two minutes as a corner at the other end bounced off the head of Jason Lowe and fell to Girona’s Samuelle Longo who headed home at the far post.

Irish cap Shane Duffy was quiet in the first half, but had two huge chances denied after the break, one by a superb save from Girona keeper Rene Roman Hinojo and the other by the offside flag.

Darragh Lenihan also had a close encounter with the net, but frustratingly for the Ewood Park outfit, they had to settle for a share of the spoils.

There was no sign of Wes Brown or Craig Conway in the line-ups despite hope that they may show their faces, but Coyle put out a strong team making just two changes from the match against Blackpool last week.

Both sides looked energetic from kick-off, but chances were few and far between as composure in the final third was slightly absent. But a chance came after 15 minutes when the ball fell to Marshall who took aim from 40 yards after a poor clearance from Girona keeper Hinojo, but his effort flew over the bar.

Cristian Portugues Manzenera and Pere Pons Riera were the only pair who looked likely to score for Girona early on, but Marshall was finally rewarded with his second goal of the pre-season on 27 minutes when some ironic tika-taka with Elliot Bennett on the left led to a surge upfield from Marshall who blasted home from 20 yards.

The hosts led for only two minutes thought, after a corner at the other end flicked off the head of Lowe and fell to Longo at the far post to level.

A chance fell to Danny Graham after 35 minutes as Henley set up the striker with a great ball from the left, but his effort rolled wide.

Rovers made three changes at half-time followed by three before the final whistle in the hope of forming a perfect record against foreign sides this pre-season after a 1-0 win over SV Ried.

Duffy went close to putting Rovers back in control when a failed clearance from a corner allowed Akpan to set him up for a crisp right-foot shot, but Hinojo made a superb save.

Then substitute Lenihan produced a wonderful curving shot from 30 yards, but the wall of Hinojo was unbreakable.

Girona had a free kick 30 yards out on 70 minutes, but sub Ruben Alcaraz Giminez blasted it straight at the wall and his follow-up landed in the arms of Steele.

Duffy then fired in a header from a Bennett free-kick, but the offside flag denied the midfielder.

In the final 15 minutes both sides looked weary, but Rovers can walk away having sent out a strong message to the Canaries before Saturday.