JASON Lowe, Danny Guthrie and Nathan Delfouneso made their comebacks today.

The first-team trio all featured in Blackburn Rovers’ Under-21 Premier League Division Two 2-0 defeat to Fulham at Brockhall.

Lowe came through 45 minutes on his first appearance since recovering from a second operation to cure a long-standing foot problem that has ruled him out since August.

While fellow midfielder Guthrie and striker Delfouneso, who have not played for three months through hamstring and knee injuries respectively, played just over an hour.

Rovers U21 lead coach Damien Johnson said: “It was great to see Lowey out there after so long as well as Danny and Nathan.

“It was great they got the minutes and there was no reaction, which was positive.”

Lancashire Telegraph:

Johnson’s side made a bright start and had the ball in the back of the net inside 40 seconds after Connor Mahoney turned in a cross from Delfouneso.

But his effort was ruled out as Connor Thomson was adjudged to have been stood in an offside position despite claiming to have been behind the goal-line.

Fulham took the lead in the eighth minute through a sharp Josh Walker finish after Rovers had lost possession.

And the Cottagers went close to going further in front on three separate occasions before Thomson stung the hands of former Accrington Stanley loanee Marcus Bettinelli on the stroke of half-time.

Bettinelli went on to deny Thomson again before producing the save of the match to prevent a deflected free kick from Rovers’ best player, 17-year-old Lewis Hardcastle, from finding the top corner.

But it was Fulham who completed the scoring in the 81st minute when Walker flashed a flying header past Simon Eastwood to notch his second goal of the game.

Johnson said: “The lads started really well and got the goal but the officials adjudged Connor Thomson offside, which was disappointing.

“It was a pleasing start but we gave them a chance and to be fair they were clinical and took it.

“We had a go but we just lacked that little bit of quality in the end to get back into the game.

“We got into good areas but the final cross, final pass, final decision, and finish could have been a little bit better. We didn’t have that and that was the difference.”

Rovers U21s return to action on Friday when they travel to south Wales to take on Swansea City at their training ground (1pm kick-off).

Johnson will have to ring the changes as a number of the squad that faced Fulham will be in action in the FA Youth Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea at Ewood Park later that night.

The Premier League deemed that the Swans encounter had to go-ahead despite the fixture clash.