MIDDLESBROUGH RES 1 ENGLAND legend Paul Gascoigne appeared for Borough at Ewood last night but he was overshadowed by two of Rovers young guns.

James Thomas and Garth Scates grabbed a goal apiece as a youthful Rovers side deservedly took the spoils.

And had Rovers finishing been more clinical, then Terry Darracott's men could have won by a far greater margin.

The home side were on fire in the first half as Wayne Gill struck the bar, Damien Johnson had s hot cleared off the line and Thomas spurned enough chances to have had a hat-trick.

But the young striker finally made one count when he expertly flicked a David McNamee through ball over his shoulder to give Rovers the lead.

Scates then made a brilliant break from midfield to bag the second midway through the second half.

But Geordie genius Gascoigne started to turn on the style in the closing stages as Borough pulled one back.

And the visitors missed a couple of late chances to snatch a point.

Rovers team: Williams, McNamee, Murphy, Scates, Peacock, Brown, Johnson, Gill, Hamilton, Thomas, O'Brien. Subs not used: Corbett, Hind, D Dunning, McAvoy, Hawe.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.