Rovers held Championship Derby County to a 0-0 draw in a behind closed doors friendly played at their training ground.
Jason Lokilo and Ben Whiteman went closest for Rovers with the skipper’s second half effort from a free kick requiring a smart save to tip it over the bar. Craig Forsyth hit the post in what was Derby’s best chance of the match.
Rovers had the first chance of the game when Trialist 1 shot wide, while Lokilo’s effort 15 minutes into the game whistled just past the keeper’s left post.
Max Bird forced a good block from Joe Wright at the expense of a corner and Rovers had a lucky escape from the resulting set piece when Forsythe’s header smashed against the upright.
Rovers had another good chance when both trialists linked up. A free kick was played into the back post but the trialist was unable to turn the chance on target.
Whiteman fired just over the bar after his first touch took him beyond two of Derby’s players and offered him space to shoot. Derby hit back almost straight away and Jack Marriott should have given the Rams the lead when a mistake in the Rovers midfield gifted him a one on one. New signing Josef Bursik in the Rovers’ net was equal to it and pushed the effort around the post.
There were fewer chances in the second half with both sides cancelling each other out. The home side named a different XI for the second 45, while Rovers only half-time was change was between the sticks with Louis Jones coming in for Bursik. Further changes for Rovers followed from the hour mark.
Whiteman tested the keeper about ten minutes into the half, when his free-kick dipped under the bar while Derby’s best chance game from a free-kick late in the game which was headed wide by Curtis Davies.