ROVERS’ winning run on English soil continued in pre-season, but of more importance to head coach Tony Mowbray was getting 90 minutes in to five of his players.

The starting back four, along with goalscorer Elliott Bennett, completed the whole game as Rovers saw off the challenge of League Two Morecambe at the Globe Arena.

Goals from Danny Graham and Bennett had Rovers in control inside half an hour, but the hosts battled their way back in to it and reduced the arrears with a Rhys Turner goal seven minutes before the break.

With Ryan Nyambe, Craig Conway and Scott Wharton sitting the game out with niggles, Mowbray handed some extended minutes to his side as the countdown to the August 5 League One opener at Southend United continues.

The game came too soon for new £500,000 signing Dominic Samuel, but Graham showed just what he could offer in a first-half in which he demonstrated some excellent hold-up play.

He also netted his third goal in four pre-season games. It came after just 10 minutes when he turned home from close range after Bradley Dack’s shot had been saved.

Dack was busy in the number 10 role, and he linked up again with Graham moments later, only for Morecambe’s trialist goalkeeper to make one of a number of fine stops.

The home keeper also denied Ben Gladwin twice and Darragh Lenihan as Rovers pressed.

But there was nothing he could do when Bennett got on the end of a Gladwin cross to nod in to the corner as Rovers deservedly doubled their advantage.

It would have been three were it not for a fingertip save to deny Bennett - who fired goalwards after running on to an excellent Graham through ball.

But Rovers weren’t having it all their own way, and were pegged back seven minutes before the break when Turner tried his luck from distance as the ball broke to him 25 yards from goal. His half-volley had the accuracy to find the bottom corner despite the best efforts of Rovers stopper David Raya.

There were no changes for either side at the break, but the hosts went close to levelling almost immediately.

Turner again demonstrated great technique to get another half volley away from the edge of the box, with the ball flicking the crossbar on its way behind.

There was something of a lull in proceedings as the hour mark approached, but the game sparked back in to life courtesy of two volleys in as many minutes.

The first, from Dack, to meet a deep Derrick Williams was unfortunate to find the side netting, while an ambitious Alex Kenyon effort moments later landed on the roof of Raya’s goal.

Morecambe’s trialist goalkeeper continued to impress and thwarted Rovers again in the 61st minute when he denied Dack with a flying save after good work down the left by Williams.

Substitutions for both sides took the sting out of the contest as the game ticked in to the final quarter, with goalmouth action at both ends at a premium.

That was until Joe Nuttall took centre stage, having a hat-trick of chances within two minutes of coming on.

Fresh from five goals in two games for Rovers’ Under-23s, the trialist striker would have fancied his chances to net with the third of his chances, but couldn’t find a way past the keeper after being played in by Corry Evans.

Bennett would go close to another just before the final whistle, only for his side foot effort from the edge of the box to go just wide of the post as Rovers ended the stronger.

Rovers: Raya (Steele, 63), Caddis, Lenihan, Mulgrew, Williams, Smallwood (Ward, 74), Whittingham (Tomlinson, 74), Bennett, Dack (Evans, 63 (Hardcastle, 87)), Gladwin (Nuttall, 74), Graham (Feeney, 63).

Subs not used: Grayson, Doyle