BLACKBURN Rovers signed off their pre-season schedule with a 1-1 draw against NAC Breda at Ewood Park.

In wet and windy conditions more suited to an October afternoon than one at the beginning of August, it was the visitors who opened the lead with a goal against the run of play on the stroke of half-time when Csaba Feher fired through a crowded area to beat Paul Robinson who couldn't hold the shot.

Rovers came out with renewed enthusiasm in the second half and twice tested the Breda defence before Jason Roberts was picked out by a pin-point cross from Keith Treacy, the Grenadan international having the simple task of heading home at the back post.

Paul Ince's new look side were certainly easy on the eye with plenty of short crisp passing, but they were just lacking in the final third as the pre-season programme came to an end.

With Roque Santa Cruz, Morten Gamst Pedersen and Brett Emerton on the sidelines through injury, manager Paul Ince was unable to put out what many would have considered his first choice line-up, but the starting eleven still had plenty of experience.

Captained by David Dunn alongside Steven Reid in midfield, the game saw Paul Robinson and Danny Simpson make their Ewood bows, whilst there was a place on the left side of midfield for Keith Treacy to have the chance to stake a claim for the new season.

Up front Benni McCarthy and Jason Roberts lead the line for the home side.

Danny Simpson, a season-long loan signing from Manchester United earlier in the week, was immediately in the thick of the action, tackling his marker inside the opening minute. Whilst other debutant Paul Robinson came to the edge of his area to block an effort from Matthew Amoah.

On twelve minutes Rovers showed their attacking prowess with a neat move, a quick throw from Stephen Warnock set Keith Treacy off down the left, he sent over the ball to the back post where Matt Derbyshire headed the ball back for Steven Reid to run onto, but from just inside the area he sent his shot over the bar.

Watched on from the Director's box by manager Paul Ince, Rovers continued to look neat and tidy, passing the ball around on the ground, enjoying the space afforded to them by their Dutch opponents, but they lacked that cutting edge in the final third. 19-year-old Keith Treacy impressing from the left with a series of jinking runs. The Irishman also went close with a free-kick on 34 minutes, but his effort from the corner of the area just lacked that curl on the ball as it flashed wide.

NAC had offered little as an attacking force in the first half, but right on 45 minutes Paul Robinson was picking the ball out of the back of the net. A corner from the right was initially cleared by the head of Matt Derbyshire, but Hungarian midfielder Csaba Feher fired the ball through the crowded area, Robinson couldn't hold the shot as it slipped from his grasp into the back of the net.

Kicking towards the Blackburn End, Rovers started the second half with renewed enthusiasm. Just thirty seconds after the restart a fine flick from Jason Roberts found Stephen Warnock rampaging into the penalty area, but his near-post shot was blocked for a corner kick.

From the resulting corner kick, Andre Ooijer headed down for Steven Reid but he hooked his effort narrowly over the bar.

Rovers continued to force the pace, on 52 minutes a run from Benni McCarthy saw space open up, the South African hit a hard low effort towards goal, NAC stopper Jelle ten Rouwelaar couldn't hold the shot, but the ball was cleared before Jason Roberts could force home the rebound.

But Roberts didn't have long to wait to get his name on the scoresheet, another surging run from Keith Treacy saw him curl a wonderful effort from the byline to the back post where Roberts was in space to head into the back of the net, much to the delight of Paul Ince who was now in the technical area.

Three minutes later and Rovers were on the attack once again, a run through midfield from David Dunn saw the ball slipped through to Roberts, he hit it to the far corner by the Breda goalkeeper just got enough on the ball to prevent it crossing the line.

Robbie Fowler came on for his debut with twenty minutes remaining, whilst the introduction of Alan Judge and Aaron Doran for their first taste of senior action at Ewood meant four Irishmen on the pitch.

As is always the case in friendly, a series of substitutions from both sides disrupted the flow to the game in the final fifteen minutes, although there was a late scare when Ammi got the better of Warnock on the right but Samba cut out the cross and Robinson claimed the lose ball.

So with seven days to go until the big kick-off against Everton at Goodison Park next Saturday, it will be a week of intensive training for Paul Ince's side.

ROVERS: Robinson, Simpson, Ooijer, Samba, Warnock, Derbyshire (sub Judge 69 mins), Dunn (c) (sub Tugay74 mins), Reid, Treacy, Roberts (sub Doran 82 mins), McCarthy (sub Fowler 69 mins).
Subs not used: Brown, Vogel, Khizanishvili, Mokoena.

NAC BREDA: ten Rouwelaar, Penders (c), Zwaanswijk, Kwakman, Lurling (sub Ammi 78 mins), Kolkka (sub Gorter 88 mins), Feher, Amoah (sub Idabdekhay 70 mins), Reuser (sub Enric 82 mins), Mtiliga, Stam.
Subs not used: van Fessem, Pollack, Tamerus, Pollemans, Kramer, Hofstede.

Booked: Zwaanswijk (NAC Breda)