Rovers have been beaten 1-0 by Everton in a behind closed doors friendly at Finch Farm this afternoon.

The game was Rovers’ second game of pre-season, and is expected to be the first of two behind closed doors matches before the trip to Bradford City next weekend.

A first half goal from Jean-Philippe Gbamin decided the game which was played at Everton’s Finch Farm training ground this afternoon.

It was a second run-out for Rafa Benitez’s side in pre-season after a youthful side beat Accrington Stanley in a practice match last week.

It was a stronger team that featured for the Toffees than against Stanley, with Michael Keane, Andre Gomes, Gbamin, Alex Iwobi, Moise Kean and James Rodriguez among those involved in the first half, while Seamus Coleman, Ben Godfrey, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Fabian Delph, Tom Davies and Allan were all featuring in the second.

Thomas Kaminski and Daniel Ayala also got their first run-outs of pre-season after sitting out the AFC Fylde win, as did Darragh Lenihan and striker Adam Armstrong.

Bradley Johnson was missing with the injury sustained at AFC Fylde, while Tyrhys Dolan and Sam Gallagher were again unavailable as they nurse minor problems.

Armstrong went close to opening the scoring early on, only to see a second minute free-kick clip the outside of the post.

Kaminski saved well to deny a long-distance strike from Rodriguez, but he was beaten shortly after as Gbamin scored what proved to be the only goal of the game. Alex Iwobi’s effort was parried by the Belgian, but Gbamin was on hand to tap home the rebound.

Kaminski was proving his worth, denying an effort from former Preston North End loanee Anthony Gordon.

Everton made 10 changes at the break, with one of them, midfielder Tom Davies, going close with a curling effort which flashed just wide.

Harry Pickering then got forward from left back to good effect, linking up well with substitute Harry Chapman, before delivering his cross which Butterworth flashed wide.

Their final opportunity to equalise came as the game ticked into the final 10 minutes, Jack Vale and Connor McBride linking up, the latter, scorer of the matchwinner at AFC Fylde, going close with a shot that looped wide of the post.

Kaminski completed the 90 minutes, with Ryan Nyambe, Lenihan, Pickering, Lewis Travis, Jacob Davenport, Joe Rothwell and Dan Butterworth all coming through an hour.

Rovers: Kaminski, Nyambe (Durrant, 60), Lenihan (Annesley, 60), Ayala (Carter, 46), Pickering (Annesley, 60), Travis (Saadi, 60), Davenport (Magloire, 60), Rothwell (Whitehall, 60), Butterworth (McBride, 60), Buckley (Vale, 31), Armstrong (Chapman, 46)

Subs: Stergiakis, Eastham, Nolan, Gilsenan