DANNY Graham scored his second goal in as many pre-season games as Rovers kicked-off the three-team tournament at the Globe Arena with a win which would have been more emphatic with better finishing.
With Grant Hanley and Wes Brown sidelined, and with Shane Duffy on an extended break after representing Republic of Ireland at Euro 2016, Owen Coyle handed 17-year-old Academy centre-back Tyler Magloire a chance alongside Elliott Ward.
He was up against an experienced forward in Leon Clarke who tested Jason Steele with the first shot of the match.
Moments later Steele’s opposite number was called into action to tip a header from Ward over the bar following a well-flighted Elliott Bennett free kick.
And from the resultant corner Graham headed in at the back post with the aid of a deflection which may have made it an own goal had it been a competitive fixture.
John O’Sullivan, who was on loan at Bury last season, should have doubled the advantage before the first 30 minutes were out.
But, after Graham headed back a Bennett corner, he nodded his first effort on to the post before blazing his second wildly over the bar from close range.
Danny Guthrie was a whisker away with a measured volley after playing his part in a move which Hope Akpan would have finished off had it not been for a brave block.
Bury upped the tempo at the start of the second half and they were helped by some slack passing from their opponents.
Rovers boss Coyle introduced on-trial striker Faissal El Bakhtaoui with 12 minutes remaining.
El Bakhtaoui always went looking for the ball and saw a shot blocked before a heading a cross from Jason Lowe over.
Graham went closer still when he crashed a left-footed effort against the post after being played in by the lively Connor Mahoney.
Bury went straight down the other end of the field with Nicky Clark seeing a drive deflect just over in what was the last meaningful attempt of the hour-long contest.
Rovers: Steele, Lowe, Ward, Magloire, Doyle, Bennett, Akpan, Guthrie, Mahoney, O’Sullivan (El Bakhtaoui 48), Graham.
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