HONOURS were even as the first East Lancashire derby of the season ended in a 2-2 draw on Saturday night.

Former players rolled back the years as the much anticipated meeting of Blackburn Rovers and Burnley kicked off the North West Masters 2009 at Manchester’s MEN Arena.

The waistlines and hairlines may have altered for some since they hung up their professional boots, the aches and pains more lasting, the legs more tired, but the enthusiasm and will to win was still strong.

There were nerves too, as Rovers captain Mark Atkins and Clarets captain Andy Farrell made their final preparations before the big event began.

Burnley, starring Ian Cox, Andy Cooke and John Francis, among others, were making their debut in the Sky Sports televised event, which was launched in 2000.

And their fans, outnumbering their Blackburn rivals, gave the Masters newcomers a confidence-boosting roar when they ran out as the first of the six teams to warm up.

Cox and Cooke, the youngest of the group, looked relaxed yet focused.

Rovers defender Gary Croft had new trainers for the occasion, and Keith Hill enjoyed a laugh and a joke with his team-mates.

But the serious business started at 8pm, and Burnley embraced in a pre-match huddle that has become tradition with the first team before Blackburn kicked off the first of two eight-minute halves.

Liam Robinson and Cooke brought two good saves from Darren Collier in quick succession.

Rovers responded and Andy Kennedy struck the base of the post after Chris Pearce had denied Hill.

Burnley drew first blood on three minutes when Cooke picked out Robinson to fire past Collier.

Craig Skinner had penalty appeals turned down as he tried to round Pearce inside the area, but Per Pedersen equalised in the last minute of the first half.

Rovers' Richard Brown was yellow-carded and sin-binned for two minutes early in the second half for a foul on Hoskin, who recovered to drill a shot underneath Collier and restore the Clarets' lead moments later.

John Francis should have wrapped the game up with two minutes to go, but fluffed his chance when Cox squared.

He was made to rue his miss when Atkins equalised with a minute to go from a quickly taken free kick.

Although the 10,000-strong crowd was treated to glimpses of one-time Manchester United favourites Andrei Kanchelskis and Lee Sharpe, the rest of the night was something of an anti-climax as far as Rovers and Burnley's group was concerned.

Both sides were outclassed by a younger, fitter Bolton team who went on to win the competition by beating Oldham in the final.

A 5-1 defeat for the Clarets, with Gary Parkinson grabbing the consolation, left the debutants bottom of their table by a goal, as Rovers were beaten 4-1 by Wanderers. Kennedy got the only goal in that game.

BLACKBURN SQUAD: Darren Collier, Richard Brown, Gary Croft, Mark Atkins (captain), Keith Hill, David Mail, Craig Skinner, Andy Kennedy, Per Pedersen.

BURNLEY SQUAD: Chris Pearce, Ian Cox, Andy Farrell (captain), Roger Eli, Ashley Hoskin, Gary Parkinson, Liam Robinson, Andy Cooke, John Francis.