ROVERS' experienced professionals gained some useful game time under their belts as the Reserves at Leigh Sports Village.
Yildiray Basturk, Steven Reid and Franco Di Santo all played the full ninety minutes, whilst David Dunn and goalscorer Junior Hoilett featured for the majority of the game.
Rovers opened the scoring in the 17th when a David Dunn corner was headed home by Hoilett, but despite their domination of the first half United levelled through Ritchie De Laet on the stroke of half time.
Hoilett went close for Rovers in the second when his shot was tipped onto the post, whilst Will Keane struck the outside of the woodwork for the visitors.
The first chance of the game fell the way of Rovers and it was through one of their rising stars Jason Lowe who charged down the right flank to pick out Franco Di Santo with a centre, but the striker could only head straight at Ben Amos in the United goal.
The visitors went straight up the other end and were the width of the crossbar away from taking the lead. Oliver Norwood exchanging passes with Gabriel Obertan but he saw his effort from the edge of the area clip the top of the crossbar.
The deadlock was broken just past the quarter hour. David Dunn sending over a corner from the right which was headed home by Junior Hoilett for the 19-year-old's second Reserve goal of the campaign.
With a more experienced eleven, Rovers were comfortably in charge but couldn't grab that all-important second goal. Hoilett, Di Santo and Dunn all going close. But only a deflection stopped a trademark Steven Reid thunderbolt finding the back of the net.
Whilst it was a Rovers side heavy on experience, the same couldn't be said of the back four of Jason Lowe, Phil Jones, Grant Hanley and Jackson Ramm. All four have been Academy regulars this season, but handled the United attacks well. Noel Blake, the England under 19 coach, will have no doubt been an interested observer of the three Englishmen Lowe, Jones and Ramm.
Right on the stroke of half-time Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side drew level out of the blue. A corner from the left went straight across to the right where Mame Biram Diouf centred and Ritchie De Laet finished well on the volley.
At the start of the second half Jason Brown saved well to deny Cameron Stewart, whilst at the other end Ben Amos topped that with a fingertip save to stop Hoilett from adding his and Rovers' second.
But those were rare goalmouth opportunities in an otherwise disappointing second half that didn't come to life until the latter stages when William Keane struck the outside of a post.
The Reserves are back in action in two week's time when they take on Hull City at Ewood Park on Monday March 8th.
ROVERS: Brown, Lowe, Ramm, Hanley, Jones, Linganzi (sub Potts 67 mins), Reid (c), Dunn (sub Blackman 74 mins), Di Santo, Basturk, Hoilett (sub Rigters 85 mins).
Subs not used: Kean (GK), Morris.
MAN UTD: Amos, Brown, Gill, Evans (c), De Laet, Wootton, Stewart (sub Keane 60 mins), Possebon, Diouf, Norwood, Obertan (sub Brandy 60 mins).
Subs not used: Zieler (GK), Moffatt, Ajose.
Booked: Reid (Rovers), Norwood (Man Utd)
Attendance: 2803
