FULL-TIME REPORT: SV Reid 0 Blackburn Rovers 1

The striker scored on his last appearance of his successful loan spell from Sunderland on the final day of the 2015-16 campaign.

And he marked his first since signing permanently for the club with the 62nd-minute goal which earned Owen Coyle a victory in his first game in charge since taking over the Ewood Park reins.

Every Rovers player who had made the trip to Austria were named on the team-sheet handed out before the delayed kick off.

However captain Grant Hanley, who has been the subject of two failed bids from Newcastle United, former England international Wes Brown, who has joined the club for pre-season, and Danny Guthrie were ruled out through injury.

The club said that Hanley hurt his knee on the last full day of their week-long training camp in Obertraun.

The Rovers squad were put through three sessions a day at the picturesque complex located in the Dachstein mountain range.

And it got no easier once they eventually arrived in Reid im Innkreis, following a longer-than-anticipated drive up from their team hotel in Salzburg, with temperatures topping 27 degrees.

The clash with a SV Ried side playing their sixth and final friendly of the summer was put back by 15 minutes.

But once it got under way Rovers more than held their own in the first half against supposedly fitter and fresher opponents.

Ben Marshall saw a shot smartly saved while Hope Akpan saw another deflect inches past the post.

At the other end Jason Steele denied Patrick Moschl while Clemens Walch blazed wide.

Rovers played with two out-and-out wingers before the break with Akpan and Darragh Lenihan constantly looking to spread the ball out wide to Elliott Bennett and Craig Conway.

Coyle made five substitutions at half-time and also changed his system with Jack Byrne operating in front of Akpan and Lenihan and fellow new boys Anthony Stokes and Liam Feeney supporting Graham.

And it was a change which paid dividends when Byrne released Stokes who drove forward with purpose down the left before sliding a pass across to box to Graham who beat Reuf Durakovic with an equally sharp first-team finish.

Byrne, the highly rated young midfielder signed on loan from Manchester City, was always looking to get on the ball, and he slid another pass down the line to Graham’s replacement Connor Mahoney, whose deep cross was volleyed down Durakovic’s throat by Feeney.

Moments earlier Thomas Reifeltshammer had headed just wide for SV Ried.

But it was Rovers, who ended the match with eight Academy graduates on the field, including Scott Wharton, the only player to play the full 90 minutes, who looked the likelier.

Stokes went close to doubling their advantage when his volley, following a cross from the lively Feeney, was superbly saved by Durakovic.

But it mattered little as Coyle, his players and his staff made their way over to the travelling Rovers supporters at the end of a good evening and a good week.

Rovers: Steele (Raya 46), Lowe (Henley 46), Ward (Hardcastle 77), Wharton, Hendrie (Doyle 77), Bennett (Feeney 46), Akpan (O’Sullivan 82), Lenihan (Nyambe 89), Conway (Stokes 46), Marshall (Byrne 46), Graham (Mahoney 63). Subs not used: Fisher, Mansell.