TENNEGAU AUSWAHL 0 ROVERS 9 (Hignett 16, 29, 30, 35, Grabbi 50, 65, Dunn 8, Cole 53, Trialist 43)

ROVERS started their pre-season campaign with an emphatic victory over the assorted Austrian part-timers in Abtenau.

Craig Hignett hit four and Ciccio Grabbi two as rampant Rovers proved too much for Auswahl.

Rovers boss Graeme Souness was pleased with the work-out.

"It was just the sort of match we wanted," he said.

"We passed the ball around and it was good to get some match action once again after training all week.

"We played some good one touch stuff, looked sharp and scored our goals."

David Dunn, having rested following his exertions with Rovers last season and England Under 21s in the summer, opened the scoring after eight minutes with a half-volley from the edge of the penalty area.

Then it was the Hignett show.

The former Middlesbrough and Barnsley star found himself largely on the fringes of the first team for much of last season.

But he showed that he has lost none of his sharpness in front of goal when he netted four times in less than 20 minutes.

Rovers also played a mystery triallist and he made it 6-0 two minutes before half-time to put Rovers firmly in the driving seat at the interval.

It was all-change at the break, with Souness bringing on John Curtis, Andy Cole, Damien Duff, Alan Mahon, Ryan Robinson and Henning Berg on.

Nisa Johansson, Hignett, Keith Gillespie, Neil Danns, Alan Miller and Craig Short were the men to go off.

And it was over to forgotten man Grabbi to make his mark in the second half.

Grabbi had an unhappy start to his Ewood Park career and spent the last five months of last season on loan to Serie B club Messina.

But the Italian sidefooted home from close range five minutes after the restart.

Cole made an instant impact when he scored on the 53rd minute and Grabbi got his second on 65 minutes, with a great goal, beating two men before firing past the keeper.

Cole and Grabbi both hit the woodwork in the closing stages, while Cole also had a goal disallowed as Rovers tried to make it double figures.

It was a good work-out for Souness' side who now face Nurenburg on Tuesday.

Miller (Robinson), Neill, Taylor, Short (Berg), Johansson (Curtis), Gillespie (Duff), Danns (Mahon), Dunn, Triallist, Hignett (Cole), Grabbi.