JAMES Beattie was among the scorers as Blackburn Rovers' reserve team were beaten by Blackpool at Leigh Sports Village tonight.

Rovers, fielding a youthful side with the first-team squad currently away on a mid-season break in Dubai, had the first chance of the game when Tom Hitchcock went round the keeper but could not find the net from a tight angle.

Blackpool had former Rovers youngster James Beattie and Brett Ormerod in a more experienced line-up, and Beattie's flick allowed Sergei Kornilenko to cut inside only to fire wide of the near post.

The Belarusian did find the net in the 27th minute, though, prodding home at the far post from Andy Reid's fine cross.

Gary Bowyer's Rovers came close to equalising when Matthew Pearson saw his header saved, but Blackpool made it 2-0 eight minutes after the interval as Kornilenko laid off Ormerod's cross into the path of Beattie, who clinically rifled past Jake Kean.

Rovers should have pulled a goal back soon afterwards when Hitchcock headed wide from Jackson Ramm's cross, but it was 3-0 in the 65th minute as Ludovic Sylvestre rounded Kean and coolly found the net.

Rovers: Jake Kean; Jackson Ramm, Matthew Pearson, Andy Parry, Adam Henley; Micah Evans (Jamie Maclaren 75), Michael Potts, Herold Goulon, Josh Morris, Zac Aley; Tom Hitchcock. Subs not used: Matthew Urwin, Anthony O'Connor, James Knowles, Toni Vastic.

Blackpool: Chris Kettings; Danny Coid (Adam Dodd 69), Stephen Husband, Rob Edwards, Salaheddine Sbai; Keith Southern, Andy Reid, Ludovic Sylvestre; Brett Ormerod, James Beattie, Sergei Kornilenko (Kingsley Francis-Reynolds 66). Subs not used: Elliott Tarney, Liam Tomsett, Adam Mitter.

Referee: C Harwood.

Attendance: 348.