IT wasn't the best of weekends for Blackburn Rovers as both the reserves and under 18s slipped to disappointing defeats.

Following on from the first team's thrashing by Olympiakos on Friday evening, yesterday the reserves and academy sides also tasted defeat.

Mamadi Keita

At Highbury, that's Fleetwood Town's Highbury, a young reserve side came unstuck against the side from the Unibond Premier Division suffering a 2-0 loss.

The Fleetwood side featured former Rovers youngster Andy Bell in their side, but it was winger Richard Allen who caught the eye. On 18 minutes he picked up a loose ball in midfield and was then allowed to run at the Rovers defence unopposed, once within shooting range Frank Fielding was helpless as the ball flew past him into the back of the net.

The home side's league was doubled on 36 minutes when Allen skipped past the efforts of two defenders before crossing Beech to score comfortably.

Rovers never really looked like getting back into the match, Jemal Johnson saw an effort tipped around the post in the second half but Fleetwood saw the game out with ease.

ROVERS: Fielding; Stopforth, Winnard, Bateman, Olsson; Griffiths, Hodge, Hughes (sub Judge 46 mins); Garner, Johnson, De Vita. Subs not used: Somodi (gk), Cavanagh, Haworth, Skidmore, Clarke.

Down at the Academy at Brockhall the result was no better as a strong Rochdale side defeated Gary Bowyer's under 18s. The only goal of the game on 53 minutes when Buckley hit a superb shot from the edge of the area that gave Rovers' 'keeper Bence Somodi no chance.

Mamadi Keita looked lively in midfield for Rovers, the German midfielder missed almost all of last season with a knee injury, but his bright performance was the only plus on the day.

ROVERS: Somodi (sub Arestidou 61 mins); Wille, Tuffy, Cavanagh (sub Ahmed 61 mins), Skidmore, Judge (sub Hoillet 46 mins), Keita, Pokar, Haworth (sub O'Connor 61 mins); Clarke (sub Tsoumou 46 mins), McCubbin.

Many thanks to Mike Jackman for his help in compiling these reports.