ACADEMY prospect Willem Tomlinson set Rovers on their way to an ultimately comfortable victory in their final friendly.

After an impressive pre-season the 17-year-old midfielder saved his best until last as he fired Gary Bowyer’s side in front in thrilling fashion 16 minutes from the end of a match that got better as it went on.

Nine minutes later captain Grant Hanley (below) doubled the advantage before Ben Marshall sealed Rovers’ fourth success of the summer with a goal that was every bit as good, if not better, as Tomlinson’s.

Lancashire Telegraph:

All eyes before kick-off were on boss Bowyer’s starting line-up.

With Rudy Gestede having been sold to Aston Villa for £6m Rovers are in the market for another striker and to that end Bowyer used the clash with the newly relegated Latics to run the rule over Nicky Maynard.

Maynard, released by Cardiff City at the end of last season, is still looking for a new club after his trial at Nottingham Forest ended.

But his hopes of winning a deal with Rovers were hit when he limped off after 32 minutes to be replaced by fellow trialist Nathan Delfouneso.

Maynard and his fit-again strike-partner Jordan Rhodes did not have the merest hint of a sniff in an action-free first half that did not contain a meaningful shot on target.

Indeed the only chance of note came in the 11th minute when Shane Duffy did well to block a Michael Jacobs effort behind for a corner.

Matters did, however, improve after the restart with the in-form Craig Conway, chasing his fourth goal of pre-season, cutting in from the left and seeing a rasping attempt take a nick before crashing off the near post.

Then it was the turn of Rhodes, featuring for the first time since seeing a move to Middlesbrough blocked, to go close.

He swapped passes with Delfouneso, who should have pulled the trigger, and was denied from close range by Richard O’Donnell.

The returning Rhodes departed soon after to a warm reception. He was replaced by new signing Fode Koita, who was making his first appearance for the club.

On-trial midfielder Danny Guthrie, who was neat and tidy throughout, also made way for Tomlinson.

And within 12 minutes the teenager had certainly made his mark.

At the end of a patient passage of play Tomlinson took a pass from Conway and, from nearly 30 yards, hammered a dipping drive past O’Donnell and into the bottom corner.

One became two in the 83rd minute when Hanley headed in a corner whipped in from the left by Conway.

And after David Raya, who was making his fourth start of pre-season, tipped over a Max Power free kick, Marshall sent a superb and swerving, David Beckham-esque shot into the top corner from 25 yards.

Rovers: Raya, Henley (Nyambe 82), Hanley, Duffy, Olsson (Spurr 82), Lowe (Petshi 82), Guthrie (Tomlinson 62), Conway, Marshall, Maynard (Delfouneso 33), Rhodes (Koita 62). Subs not used: Steele, Kilgallon, O’Sullivan, Forrester.

Attendance: 3,504.