ROVERS Under-23s were held to a 3-3 draw in their opening group game by Cardiff City in the Premier League Cup at Leyland.

A Joe Nuttall brace looked to have given Rovers a winning start to the group, but a hat-trick from defender Callum Paterson, including an injury time header, saw the visitors leave with a point.

Dan Butterworth scored a terrific solo goal to have Rovers 2-1 up early in the second half, after Nuttall opened the scoring after 40 seconds.

Paterson’s first equaliser came in the 18th minute, and his second just before the hour mark.  Nuttall saw a penalty saved by Lee Camp, before he looked to have scored the winner with three minutes remaining.

But a looping header from Paterson in the dying stages saw the young Bluebirds side leave with a point.

Butterworth, fresh from signing professional terms with Rovers this week, was handed his first start of the season after returning from injury.

Willem Tomlinson and Jack Doyle were also back in the side after injury absences, while Lewis Hardcastle was back in the side after serving a one match ban.

It took Rovers just 40 seconds to take the lead, with Nuttall scoring his 10th goal of the season when he turned in from close range after Camp had initially denied Butterworth.

It was a blistering start from the hosts, with Butterworth seeing a shot deflected over before Matty Platt went close with a header from the resulting corner.

Butterworth’s third attempt at goal in the opening six minutes should have seen Rovers double their lead, but after being played in by Stefan Mols, his shot was too close to Camp.

And Rovers were to be pegged back around 15 minutes later, as with their first attempt on goal, Cardiff equalised.  Callum Paterson rose highest at the far post to meet a right-wing free-kick to level the game.

Rovers were then grateful to Andrew Fisher for keeping them level, denying first Tyrone Duffus and then Ogo Obi with a fine stop, diving away to his left, after the striker had beaten three players.

Damien Johnson’s side began to regain their control of procedings however, but couldn’t make their territory pay.

Nutall should have done better when he fired wide of the far post after a terrific one-touch passing move involing Mols and Joe Rankin-Costello.

Within the space of three minutes, Camp denied Charley Doyle’s effort from a near-post corner before he was equal to another Nuttall effort after he went through on goal once again after receiving a neat flick from Butterworth.

Some late Rovers pressure saw them put several balls in to the Cardiff area, with Nuttall firing just wide on his left foot moments before the half-time whistle.

Having started the first half so brightly, Rovers were keen to do the same after the break and got their rewards inside four minutes of the second half getting underway.

It was all down to the work of Butterworth who picked the ball up just inside the Cardiff half before embarking on a run towards the edge of the box.  There, he took aim, finding the bottom corner with a right foot finish.

But that good work was undone before the hour when Cardiff equalised once again.  Paterson, up from right back, scored his second of the game as his outstretched boot met a deep cross to turn it beyond Fisher.

Going forward though, Rovers remained a threat, with Mols forcing a save from Camp moments later as he turned a Lewis Travis cross goalwards.

Fisher may well have done better with the second goal, but he made a fine save with his feet to deny Jack Calver as Cardiff found a spare man on the far post as Rovers became stretched.

With 20 minutes to go, Rovers had a golden chance to retake the lead when Mols was brought down by Rhys Abbruzzese after being played in by Rankin-Costello.  But the experienced Lee Camp was equal to Nuttall’s spot-kick, tipping it on to the post, with the striker unable to find the net with the rebound on the turn.

Rovers continued to be the more likely to grab a late winner, but several good balls in to the box came to nothing.

But with three minutes to go, they would get their rewards as another Travis burst down the right would see him cross for Nuttall to sweep home.

He would have had a hat-trick, were it not for a smart Camp save before the whistle, but Paterson would be the hat-trick hero for the visitors as he beat Matty Platt in the air to loop a header beyond Fisher.

Rovers: Fisher, Travis, C Doyle, Platt, J Doyle (Evans, 58), Tomlinson (Wright, 66), Hardcastle, Mols, Rankin-Costello, Butterworth (Mansell, 75), Nuttall

Subs: Thomson, Dillon

Cardiff: Camp, Paterson, Abbruzzese, Veale, Duffus, Young, Coxe (Parish, 65), Evans, Obi, Waite, Calver

Subs: Smith, Byrne, Proctor