Rovers reserves 1, Aston Villa reserves 1

A MASSIVE crowd of 1,300 turned out for Blackburn Rovers' first reserve match at Morecambe's Christie Park last night.

Rovers were held to a 1-1 draw by an experienced Aston Villa reserve side which included the likes of David Ginola, Gilles De Bilde, Richard Walker and Lee Hendrie.

Despite the fact that five of the young Rovers side were involved in a testimonial at Yeovil 24 hours earlier, the side worked hard, much to the delight of reserve team boss Terry Darracott.

"I was very, very pleased with the performance. I couldn't have asked for anything more and they looked after us fantastically at Morecambe."

James Thomas made a scoring return to action after a hamstring injury, equalising after Richard Walker's early strike.

Despite going a goal down after five minutes the young side, which contained only Thomas and Martin Taylor with any senior experience of note, fought back to go in at the break level.

The visitors were gifted the opening goal when Michael Bingham in the Rovers goal mis-kicked the ball straight to Walker who put it past him into the net.

But the young Rovers side clawed back into the game and got their deserved equaliser just before the break when Thomas broke clear to put the ball past Enckleman.

The second half was more of a scrappy affair with the Rovers side tiring as the game went on. Both sides cancelled each other out in their attempts to get a winner.

Rovers: Bingham, McNamee, Martin Taylor, Michael Taylor, O'Brien, Baldacchino (Blakeman), Danns, Dunning, Forsyth (Murray), Corbett, Thomas (Foster). Subs not used: Hind and Hardy.