SAM Allardyce was delighted with his Blackburn Rovers side’s 2-2 draw with AS Roma in a sweltering hot Bolzano last night and insisted they are well on the way to being fighting fit for August 15.

Goals from Paul Gallagher and Aaron Doran, to pull back a 2-0 deficit, will at least give the Rovers boss plenty of food for thought for the coming months - even though Alan Judge’s scuffed spot kick saw them lose a meaningless penalty shoot out.

Allardyce has been more than satisfied with his side's first two summer games - claiming the tougher the conditions the better.

He said: "Fitness is massive part. Fitness, strength, stamina massive part of playing in the Premier League and is a big part in giving us the capability of giving us a result.

"We don't want anyone to miss this pre-season because it gives you the grounding to go through a very difficult season physically and mentally.

"You are much more physically capable when you are mentally capable. It goes hand in hand and if we get them all through it gives them that feel good to go into the new season. Rather than playing catch up."

Allardyce used the game to give new signing Lars Jacobsen his first full 90 minutes for the game, while a host of changes were made elsewhere as he continued to make the right preparations for the season ahead.

"I was actually disappointed with the pitch," said Allardyce. "It was not very good for a game of this calibre but we had an extremely good work-out and deserved the draw.

"We should not have been 2-0 down, we were because of some basic errors, we came back very well and their keeper had to make lost of excellent saves.

"We got a lift when Gally scored, then we changed the team around. Some played a little bit longer, some came off at half time.

"Their younger legs came out for the second half and we were much the better team. We scored an excellent goal, probably the goal of the game."

Rovers will now face Portuguese outfit Nacional in a 45 minute game in Croatia on Saturday, after Maritimo pulled out.