Blackburn Rovers beat Barnsley in behind-closed-doors game

Andri Gudjohnsen celebrates scoring Blackburn Rovers' second goal. <i>(Image: RoversTV)</i>
Andri Gudjohnsen celebrates scoring Blackburn Rovers' second goal. (Image: RoversTV)
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Blackburn Rovers beat Barnsley 3-0 in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Saturday afternoon.

Tony Mowbray's side continued their preparations for the new campaign against League One opposition, running out comfortable winners at the Senior Training Centre.

Goals from Matty Litherland, Andri Gudjohnsen and Ryoya Morishita secured the win, building on last weekend's goalless draw at Accrington Stanley.

Rovers again split their team in two, with each set of players getting 45 minutes apiece. Connor O'Riordan, subject to bids and the possibility of a move away, was not involved.

Scott Wharton, who is recovering from a thigh issue, Yuki Ohashi, Jake Garrett and Igor Tyjon were the only other absentees. Plenty who missed last weekend's game due to illness returned to play.

Captained by Adam Forshaw in the first half, Rovers led 2-0 at the break. Dion De Neve was involved in both goals, getting down the left after a strong midfield burst from Moussa Baradji and crossing for Matty Litherland to head in at the back post.

The second came from a similar route. Baradji slipped De Neve in-behind and he crossed for Gudjohnsen, who controlled and finished in a crowded penalty area.

Axel Henriksson went close on a couple of occasions in what was his first match minutes since January. The midfielder underwent knee surgery at the end of last season.

Rovers named an entirely different XI and added a third midway through the half. Morishita turned the ball in after Mathias Jorgensen's shot had been saved and Rovers kept the ball alive in the box.

Mowbray's side were relatively untroubled for 90 minutes, though Balazs Toth was credited with one superb save to deny an effort from point-blank range after a Barnsley corner.

Rovers will now fly out to Portugal on Sunday and host Nottingham Forest on Wednesday. They'll end the trip with a behind-closed-doors match against Strasbourg.

Rovers first half: Toth; Litherland, Carter, Pratt, Ribeiro; Forshaw, Baradji; Kargbo, Henriksson, De Neve; Gudjohnsen.

Rovers second half: Pears; Alebiosu, Atcheson, McLoughlin, Pickering; Tavares, Montgomery; Morishita, Cantwell, Afolayan; Jorgensen.

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