DANNY Graham got Rovers’ pre-season campaign off to a winning start as he netted with the very last kick of the game in a 2-1 victory at National League Barrow.

Tony Mowbray – who took a watching brief from the main stand – fielded a different side in each half, handing all four of his new signings some game-time, as well as trialist Paul Caddis.

The Rovers first-half side did their part, giving Mowbray’s men a 1-0 half-time lead courtesy of Craig Conway’s goal.

But the second half side struggled, failing to find any fluency, with Richie Bennett levelling for the hosts with 17 minutes to play.  He also saw an effort cleared off the line by Ryan Nyambe moments before the end.

However, it was Graham who would have the final say, lashing the ball home from close range to make it a winning start to pre-season.

The Rovers first-half side played without a natural centre forward, with Ben Gladwin, Liam Feeney and Joe Rankin-Costello all interchanging between the central role.

But it was Craig Conway who gave his side the lead at the break with a well-taken finish after an excellent through ball from the lively Rankin-Costello.  He found the run of Conway with a lovely volleyed pass after earlier neat touches from Gladwin and fellow new boy Richie Smallwood.

That came four minutes before the break, with Conway, captain of the first-half side, going close with an effort just before the half hour, forcing a save from Barrow keeper Stuart Moore after good interplay from Rovers in midfield.

The Barrow stopper, who had just arrived from Luton, made an outstanding stop in the 10th minute to deny Liam Feeney, tipping over a fierce drive from the Rovers winger.

Much of Rovers’ early threat came from set plays, with Peter Whittingham in particular sending over some testing deliveries.

Scott Wharton was one player to head over the bar, while Rankin-Costello suffered the same fate.

Ben Gladwin was busy, seeing plenty of the ball, firing one effort wide atfer 15 minutes before being denied what looked to be a certain goal by an excellent covering tackle from Moussa Diarra.

Caddis was given a run out by Rovers, having trained with them for the first 10 days of pre-season and looked to get forward at every given opportunity, but didn’t see too much of the ball in what was a competitive first half.

Barrow, naming a host of trialists, were certainly up for it, closing Rovers down at every given opportunity, but the long throw of Dan Jones apart, rarely threatened in the opening half.

Asa Hall dragged an effort wide just on the whistle, while Jordan White saw a looping header saved under his crossbar by Jason Steele.

A new XI emerged for Rovers in the second half, once again a mixture of youngsters and first-team regulars, with fans keen to get a glimpse of £750,000 signing Bradley Dack.

The half was only four minutes old when Rovers should have doubled their lead, but Lewis Hardcastle could only volley an Elliott Bennett cross wide of the target after ghosting in at the far post.

But that was a rare sight of goal in a second half which started slowly, with some fussy referee slowing any Rovers momentum.

And with 17 minutes to go Barrow levelled the game up through their talisman Richie Bennett.  Rovers appealed for offside, but a flag wasn’t forthcoming, and he held off the attentions of Charlie Mulgrew before lobbing an effort over David Raya and in to the corner.

Chances remained few and far between, but Rovers should have restored their lead with four minutes to go.  Elliott Ward sent Danny Graham clear, but after bearing down on goal, he blazed high over the bar with three players waiting for a cut-back.

Bennett then went close to giving his side the lead, with Ryan Nyambe clearing his effort off the line, before Graham made up for his earlier miss with a late winner.

Rovers first half: Steele, Caddis, Lenihan, Wharton, Williams, Feeney, Smallwood, Whittingham, Conway, Gladwin, Rankin-Costello

Rovers second half: Raya, Nyambe, Ward, Mulgrew, Doyle, Tomlinson, Hardcastle, Evans, Bennett, Dack, Graham