A Blackburn Rovers XI scored three unanswered goals against Southport at Haig Avenue on Saturday afternoon.

A mixture of first and Reserve team players were on show against the Blue Square Premier side with both sides putting in hard working display.

Pascal Chimbonda headed home Rovers' opener before Maceo Rigters hit a 25-yard strike to see them lead 2-0 at the break.

Only one further goal was added, but how, as David Dunn hit a 45 yard volley, a shot worthy of the entrance fee.

Morten Gamst Pedersen and Michel Salgado both saw their first action of pre-season, whilst Rovers were also able to give trialists Andranik Teymourian and Myles Anderson some pitch time.

In bright sunshine Rovers started brightly, all of the players getting a good touch of the ball early on.

Rovers operated a 3-5-2 formation with French trio, Amine Linganzi, Pascal Chimbonda and Gael Givet in defence, Michel Salgado and Alan Judge as the wide men and a trio in the centre of Alex Marrow, Morten Gamst Pedersen and trialist Andranik Teymourian.

Up front saw David Dunn operating just behind Dutchman Maceo Rigters.

It was captain Dunn who teed up Morten Gamst Pedersen on thirteen minutes, bursting into the area Dunn squared the ball for the Norwegian, but he somehow blazed over from six yards out with the goal at his mercy.

Pedersen redeemed himself somewhat five minutes later when he had a hand in Rovers' opener. Winning the corner on the left, the midfielder sent over the ball to where Pascal Chimbonda rose high to head into the back of the net.

With their tails up Rovers went looking for a second and it duly arrived on 23 minutes. Maceo Rigters playing a one-two with Alex Marrow before unleashing a 25-yard daisy cutter that flew into the bottom left corner of the net.

Michel Salgado almost added a third when he followed up his pass to Alan Judge, the Spaniard raced into the area but was unlucky to see his shot slam off the near post.

The Sandgrounders weren't without opportunities of their own, Matty McGinn saw a poked effort go wide, whilst a last ditch tackle from Gael Givet prevented Ashley Winn from getting his shot away.

The best chance for Southport in the first half fell to captain Adam Flynn, when a free-kick on the right found him unmarked at the back post, but he wasted the opportunity by heading wide.

Jason Brown replaced Mark Bunn in goal at the start of the second half, whilst David Dunn teed up Alan Judge running into the area, but his shot went wide of goal.

Brown then denied the hosts with a smart shot on 57 minutes, Danny Lloyd getting the better of Amine Linganzi to shoot, but the Rovers 'keeper beat the ball away.

Former Southport starlet Zac Aley was given a warm reception when he replaced Michel Salgado, whilst Zurab Khizanishvili replaced Alex Marrow and Johnny Flynn came on for Pedersen

Alan Collins had an excellent chance for the home side with twenty minutes to go, but after getting the better of Chimbonda he fired narrowly over Brown's bar.

Moments later Southport replaced their goalkeeper, and within seconds Dean Porter was picking the ball out of the back of the net.

Porter cleared to halfway, the ball was headed down and David Dunn took the ball on the half volley before lashing it over the newly introduced stopper and into the back of the net. A sensational 45 yard strike.

Trialist Myles Anderson was then introduced with 13 minutes remaining, he replaced goalscorer Pascal Chimbonda.

Maceo Rigters saw a lob land on the roof of the net, whilst Zac Aley couldn't mark his return to Haig Avenue with a goal as his shot was well saved.

To their credit Southport kept going, Lloyd seeing a close-range effort held by Brown, whilst Shaun Gray was inches wide with a 30 yard free-kick.

ROVERS (3-5-2): Bunn (sub Brown 46 mins); Linganzi, Chimbonda (sub Anderson 77 mins), Givet; Salgado (sub Aley 68 mins), Marrow (sub Khizanishvili 61 mins), Teymourian, Pedersen (sub Flynn 72 mins), Judge; Dunn, Rigters.

Attendance: 469