Andy Ritchie Testimonial: Oldham Athletic 0 Blackburn Rovers 0 - Peter White reports

OLDHAM player-manager Andy Ritchie was the official beneficiary from last night's testimonial game at Boundary Park but it could be Blackburn Rovers boss Brian Kidd who ultimately reaps the benefits if the message strikes home.

For further evidence of Rovers' need for re-inforcements was suitably provided as the bookmakers' First Division title favourites failed to get the better of last season's Second Division strugglers.

On the day that Kidd faced up to the fact that he could be missing as many as seven regulars for the start of the League campaign, he fielded what was probably as strong a side as possible in the club's penultimate pre-season game.

Yet it was not good enough to overcome Oldham in a pretty punchless performance that once again signalled the need for the club to get the cheque book out.

It's an open and shut case really. In fact, Inspector Morse would solve it in less time than it takes to make a feature-length episode.

Rovers looked short of several things, not least height and strength in the penalty areas, a couple more experienced hands to guide the younger players and, most disappointingly, the kind of quality in the final third of the pitch that you would expect from a higher-division side. As a fitness exercise it was a useful game, because spirited Oldham were always in with a shout.

But it probably didn't tell Kidd anything he did not already know.

He has had a good look at his players in the build-up and has some good things going for him both on the field and, regrettably too many, in the treatment room. But, with the club claiming it is to be a campaign of going all out for promotion, it is time to support that with hard cash - and better late than never.

As the game unfolded, there was a temptation to think ahead a couple of weeks and suspect that we might see this scenario again, an opposing team raising their game, closing down as quickly as they could and going eagerly for goal whenever the chance arose.

For that is the kind of weekly reception Rovers are likely to meet when they step into Division One on Saturday week.

It might have been different if Rovers had taken the lead, and they could have done in the first half, but they did not carry the punch up front that should have been a difference between the sides.

In fact, it was Rovers' two keepers who made the better saves while their own main strikers, Kevin Davies and Kevin Gallacher, did not make too much of a dent in the Oldham rearguard.

Matt Jansen did threaten something different but took a couple of whacks from defenders none-to-happy about the prospect of being turned inside out.

That could be another sign of things to come.

Playing down the slope in the first half, with a 4-3-3 formation, Rovers had the edge with Lee Carsley the midfield fulcrum. Carsley played a great ball to David Dunn on the right and, after slipping his marker, he forced an early save. But their brightest moment came on 16 minutes. Good work by Dunn freed Gary Croft and his swinging coss was met by the head of the incoming Jason Wilcox. The effort beat the keeper but rebounded to safety from the crossbar.

Both Gallacher and Davies also had chances but couldn't make them count and Oldham were always lively enough to suggest they might just spring a surprise.

Junior Agogo got the wrong side of Marlon Broomes to set up Mark Innes for a shot which was not far wide and, a minute from half time, Tim Flowers showed his reflexes are still working with a wonderful save.

Giant Stuart Thom met a right-wing corner with a towering header but Flowers was equal to it as he arched backwards to touch the ball over the bar with lightning reactions.

Three changes at half time saw Rovers switch to 4-4-2 and a miss by Gallacher was the prelude to a good spell, though Flowers again had to save well from John Sheridan's long-range drive. Davies and Damien Johnson were close, with Christian Dailly showing some excellent distribution from the back. But they weren't as close as Mark Allott in the 72nd minute.

Sub keeper Alan Fettis had only just replaced Flowers when Allott got in between the central defenders and looked a certain scorer. But Fettis pulled off a magnificent one-handed stop to keep out the shot.

In the last 10 minutes either side could have grabbed a winner. Wilcox was fractionally wide, after a good run set up by Johnson and Jeff Kenna, but Fettis again had to excel to stop a Lee Duxbury piledriver and a spectacular Innes shot flew just too high.

With two minutes remaining, Damien Duff forced Gary Kelly to a scrambling save when the winger did well to get in a header at the far post.

But it was all very much workmanlike, rather than inspirational, from a team which needs more authority before Port Vale come visiting on August 7.

How they lined up:

OLDHAM (4-4-2): Kelly, McNiven, Thom, Garnett, Holt, Adams, Sheridan, Duxbury, Innes, Agogo, Allott. No subs used.

ROVERS (4-3-3): Flowers (sub Fettis 70 mins), Croft (sub Kenna HT), Dailly, Broomes, Davidson, Dunn (sub Johnson HT), Carsley, Wilcox, Gallacher (sub Corbett 58 mins), Davies, Jansen (sub Duff HT).

REFEREE: D Pugh

ATTENDANCE: 4,603

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