Everton were unable to score against a gutsy Blackburn Rovers squad, but despite the score, Everton were more than capable of scoring a couple, and there were a few players that definitely stood out.
The first 20 minutes were completely controlled by the Rovers, and in the 7th minute, they found the back of the net when an unmarked Dion De Neve slotted the ball past Mark Travers. The Rovers took advantage of Everton's sluggishness coming out of the gate and showcased their offensive capabilities with some fast combination plays on the right side.
The rest of the half saw Everton slowly build themselves back into the match with Nathan Patterson providing width and Dwight McNeil cutting inside like last match. However, throuhout the entire match, Beto was unable to finish any crosses that came from the right side.
Some of this can be attributed to the sloppiness in the final third to lack of match fitness, but in the Premier League, plenty of the chances that were created by Patterson should have at least resulted in a shot on goal.
The second half saw Harrison Armstrong, Isaac Heath, and Justin Clarke all come in among others. Those three did create offensive opportunities, and Armstrong was specifically Everton's best player on the pitch when he subbed on.
Although the team pushed heavily for an equalizer in the second half, the Rovers defended really well, which was expected due to the fact that they started their preseason much earlier than Everton. The match ended 1-0, and Everton are still looking for their first preseason win.
Just like the match against Accrington Stanley, you could tell that Everton were on another level, but a lack of finishing and sloppiness all around has resulted in no goals from open play so far this preseason. Thierno Barry cannot join the squad soon enough.