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Pre-Season: Accrington 0-3 Blackburn Rovers

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ACCRINGTON Stanley fell to defeat in their last Pre-Season friendly before the Coca-Cola Football League season kicks off next Saturday, going down to Blackburn Rovers.

I have to say this is one of the hardest things I have done in my life. Watch a football match. Update the Twitter page. And write a brief match report so it’s ready at the full time whistle!

Accrington handed a debut to Leeds United goalkeeper Alan Martin who joined on loan during the week, and despite conceding three times, the young stopper had a good game considering the constant bombardment he was under from the Premier League opposition.

Paul Gallagher was in fantastic form for Rovers scoring twice in the first half, with the first coming after just ten minutes when he curled a great free kick into Martin’s top corner, leaving the keeper with no chance.

His second came three minutes before half time as he raced through to chip the ball delicatly over the advancing Martin and into the empty net to double his and Rovers’ tally for the night.

With that came the half time whistle with Stanley’s only real chance coming through the impressive Michael Symes but he headed over from close range before Darran Kempson saw his long range effort ping over the crossbar.

It was Symes again who was looking the biggest threat as he raced through only to see his chip over goalkeeper Frank Fielding cleared off the line by Georgian International defender Zurab Khizanishvili.

Into the second half and again it was Rovers who started strongest, this time David Hoilett went close, his effort from the edge of the Stanley area strook the foot of Martin’s post before bouncing to safety, but just minutes later Alan Judge made it three, drilling the ball into the bottom left hand corner.

John Coleman’s Reds started to pull themselves back into the game a little, and when Khizanishvili played a dreadful ball back to the goalkeeper, Paul Mullin was there in a flash to head into a one-on-one with Fielding, but it was the goalkeeper who came out on top, tipping the ball around the post.

Jimmy Ryan was next to scare the top flight oponents as his long range effort fizzed inches over the crossbar after some sudden dip in the East Lancashire wind, but it was Mullin again who had the chance to get Stanley on the scoresheet when a corner fell to him ten minutes from time.

This time a fantastically executed volley was smashed close enough to substitute goalkeeper Jake Kean for the young stopper to pull out a save from the top draw.

Full Time: Accrington Stanley 0-3 Blackburn Rovers

After the game John Coleman said: “They (Blackburn) were too good for us on the night. They had good movement up front and we never got to grips with them.

“We were not sharp, we were not as sharp as we were on Tuesday and we have had a good chat with the players. It has brought them down to earth with a bump.

“When you come up against good players, you have to raise your game and we didn`t do that. They were too good for us, there is no magic reason behind that.”

ACCRINGTON: Alan Martin, Leam Richardson, Dean Winnard, Darren Kempson, Phil Edwards, Luke Joyce, John Miles, Jimmy Ryan, Michael Symes, Paul Mullin, Robert Grant

SUBS: Peter Cavanagh, Lewis Field, Chris King, Andrew Proctor, Ian Dunbavin, Ross Lloyd

ROVERS: Frank Fielding, Martin Olsson, Zurab Khizanishvili, Gavin Gunning, Alex Marrow, Aaron Doran, Alan Judge, David Hoilett, Paul Gallagher, Elrio Van Heerden

SUBS: Jonny Flynn, Jake Kean, Nick Blackman, Jason Lowe, Andy Haworth, Marcus Marshall, Gearoid Morrissey, Michael Hall, Callum O’Connor

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