Rovers’ attackers had fun in the sun as they put four goals past Scottish Premiership side Hearts in Marbella.
George Hirst scored twice, Bradley Dack scored one and claimed two assists, while Sam Szmodics opened the scoring with a fine volley in a 4-0 victory.
Most pleasing was the match sharpness that Rovers showed after three weeks without a game as they maintained good intensity throughout the 90 minutes at the Marbella Football Center.
Hirst hasn’t had the easiest of starts to life in a Rovers shirt, but will have been buoyed by his goals in a break where he will have looked to impress Jon Dahl Tomasson and boost his chances of featuring more regularly upon the season’s resumption.
Rovers took to the pitch an XI made up of players who hadn’t been involved in the morning’s training session.
They lined up in a back three, with a forward line of Dack, Szmodics and Hirst.
All three didn’t have to wait long to get into the game as Rovers started on the front foot.
They lead inside four minutes, a trademark chipped pass from Dack found Szmodics who volleyed low into the corner.
With 15 minutes on the watch, they should have had a second, Hirst given the freedom of the Hearts half to break clear, but opting to go alone rather than sliding the ball across for the unmarked Szmodics, he fired over the top.
Hearts weren’t without their moments, most of which came from Rovers lapses, with Ash Phillips switching off as Lawrence Shankland pounced on a right wing cross, only to see his near post effort turned behind by Thomas Kaminski.
The second goal Rovers had threatened came at the midway point of the half, Ryan Hedges’ ball to the far post thumped into the roof of the net on the volley by George Hirst.
Hearts emerged from the water break feeling they should have a goal, as good pace from Connor Smith down the left saw the ball pulled back for Alan Forrest whose shot was deflected off Phillips onto the underside of the crossbar, with the ball adjudged to have bounced down onto, rather than over, the line.
It was Rovers who found the game’s third goal just after the half hour. Freed by Dack, Hirst held off Toby Sibbick and then rounded the goalkeeper before slotting into the empty net.
It felt a case of how many Rovers were going to score as Hearts persisted with their high line, yet Rovers did require a fine Kaminski save to keep their clean sheet intact as he kept out a 20-yarder from Orestis Kiomourtzoglu as Scott Wharton failed to clear Stephen Kingsley’s cross.
Rovers made a change at the break, as Tayo Edun replaced Daniel Ayala in a move that saw Clinton Mola switch to the back three.
Bradley Dack then got the goal his performance deserved, pouncing on the loose ball as sub keeper Ross Stewart spilled Tyler Morton’s cross and find the corner.
Rovers were looking to be expansive on the ball, and press with intensity off it, which was paying off. However, it did open up chances for Hearts, not least substitute Euan Henderson who was able to run clear of the Rovers defence, only to be denied one-on-one by Kaminski.
Tomasson was demanding his players maintained their intensity, both with their movement in possession and also off the ball.
Hearts freshened things up with subs, whereas Rovers stuck with their starting line-up after the half time alteration.
Chances had dried up a little after Dack’s goal, though Szmodics was denied by Stewart with a strike from distance, before firing over when found by a Hirst cross with a chance that he would have been disappointed not to put in the back of the net.
Rovers’ second change with 10 minutes to play saw Georgie Gent, a late addition to the travelling squad, replace Clinton Mola, while Jared Harlock and Harry Leonard were given minutes before the end as they came on for Szmodics and Dack respectively.
There was a chance for Hearts to claim a late consolation, but Bobby McLuckie could only find the side netting after rounding Kaminski.
The rest of the Rovers squad watched on from the stands and will have their chance to impress when they face Ajax at the same venue on Saturday before the players return to Brockhall.
Rovers: Kaminski, Phillips, Ayalam (Edun, 46), S Wharton, Hedges, Travis, Morton, Mola (Gent, 80), Dack (Leonard, 83), Szmodics (Harlock, 83), Hirst
Subs: Eastham
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