The result very rarely matters in pre-season friendlies with lots of player rotation giving players much-needed minutes, the chance for youngsters to impress and for new signings to get to know their team-mates.
By the 70th minute Rovers had replaced all their team and the visitors just under half.
Over the years Championship Blackburn and Premier League Everton have been pre-season opponents and this time they have other common denominators; both have already played away at Accrington Stanley. Rovers won 2-1 last Saturday whilst The Toffees drew 1-1 in midweek.
They also both have managers who will be taking charge for their first full season. David Moyes’ return to Goodison Park in January, saw the Merseysiders win eight and lose four of their last 19 PL games to secure a 13th-place finish whilst they will also be embarking on their first campaign at the new stadium on Bramley Moore Dock.
Rovers boss Valerien Ismael was appointed much later in the season and took the club to within two points of a play-off place but the fans are still unhappy with Venky’s ownership.
Travers makes Everton debut
On the plus side Callum Brittain refused to play at Accrington Stanley at the weekend amidst interest from Middlesbrough but started the game today.
Everton have had their departures; Abdoulaye Doucoure, Orel Mangala and the experienced striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The Toffees earned £131.8m for their 13th place finish in the top flight and used £27m of that for a centre forward, 22 yr old Frenchman Thierno Barry from Villarreal; 26 yr old Republic of Ireland international keeper Mark Travers has also been added to the squad from Bournemouth.
And it was the latter who kept the visitors in the game with a superb save from a free kick in the latter stages of the match.
Certainly the second half changes benefited Everton who showed more attacking urgency than they had in the opening 45 minutes. Carlos Alcaraz, Beto, Iliman Ndiaye and Jake O’Brien all went close.
Last campaign scoring goals was a problem for the Merseysiders and they will be hoping new signing Barry can address those problems when he plays.
Winner on debut
The goal which won the game for Rovers was the result of a flowing first half move ending with new Belgian winger Dion De Neve finding the back of the net on his debut.
In a game full of ring rusty individuals any mistimed challenges were met with an apologetic hand shake but that did not stop both captains, Lewis Travis for Rovers and Idrissa Gueye being booked for squaring up to each other after a robust tackle.
That and Everton’s Dwight McNeill being good naturedly booed for his previous links to Burnley were about as passionate as it got.