Blackburn Rovers 4-0 Hartlepool United: Pools outclassed as Rovers ease into the second round

Pools were well beaten by the Championship side at Ewood Park with goals from Scott Wharton, Bradley Dack, Tyrhys Dolan and Dilan Markanday handing Rovers an easy passage into the second round.

Paul Hartley’s side rarely threatened throughout the contest as they drew a third straight blank in front of goal to begin the new season.

Hartley had hinted there would be changes for the trip to Ewood Park and there were seven in total from the draw with AFC Wimbledon.

Ben Killip retained his place in goal while defender’s Rollin Menayese and Euan Murray continued in front of him, with Mouhamed Niang the only other name in the starting XI from the weekend.

Niang operated as a third centre-back in place of Alex Lacey, who missed out altogether, as Reghan Tumilty, back in the side after the opening day defeat at Walsall, and Brody Paterson occupied the wing-back roles.

New signing Mohamad Sylla was handed a debut in front of the defence as Tom Crawford and Mark Shelton were handed their first starts of the season in the centre of midfield.

Sunderland loanee Ellis Taylor looked to plug the spaces in behind Livingston loan striker Jack Hamilton, who was handed his full debut.

The host themselves made 10 changes for this first round tie with 17-year-old Ash Phillips making his debut starting in defence for Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side and Dack in the advanced midfield role.

And the hosts enjoyed plenty of possession in the opening stages as Adam Wharton fired a ball into the feet of Markanday who tested Killip low to his left for the first attempt at goal of the evening.

Markanday continued to cause problems down the Rovers right with Dack and Dolan also forcing Pools onto the back foot.

And it was those three who combined for what should have been the opening goal of the contest midway through the first half when Dack’s clever touch sent Dolan racing clear down the left.

His cross beat Niang in the area to find Markanday in acres of space, but the former Tottenham Hotspur youngster fired straight at Killip who did well to save with his feet.

Next it was Dack to threaten as he was within inches of converting Tyler Morton’s low cross from the right into the six-yard box as Pools scrambled to clear.

But the pressure eventually told just after the half-hour mark as Wharton was able to beat Menayese to meet Morton’s corner and power a header beyond Killip at the near post.

Pools offered little in the opening 45 minutes in the way of attack and had the woodwork to thank for going in at the break only one behind as Wharton’s excellent diagonal beat Niang to find Markanday who advanced on goal before rolling his attempt off the foot of the post.

Pools weren’t so lucky after the restart as the hosts doubled their lead within two minutes of the second half when Dolan was able to pick the ball up in the final third and run at the defence before finding Tayo Edun on the overlap with his cross calmly slid in by Dack from six yards.

Jack Vale went close to adding a third moments later when he curled towards the far corner which Killip did well to push wide.

But things did get worse for Pools five minutes later when Dolan, who had been a threat all evening up to that point, got in on the act when he found space on the inside left channel before opening his body to coolly slot beyond Killip into the opposite corner.

Blackburn continued to enjoy most of the possession with Pools rarely getting beyond the halfway line.

And the hosts added a fourth 17 minutes from time as Markanday got the goal he deserved.

Dack started the move in midfield with a progressive ball into the feet of Vale who returned it to Dack on the edge of the area and he was able to shuffle it into the path of Markanday who turned and rolled into the corner.

Pools, who had earlier made a triple change, registered their first attempt at goal of the evening when Josh Umerah was able to escape Harry Pickering in the area but was narrowly off target.

Rovers might have added to their tally in the closing stages as Tomasson shuffled his pack to hand minutes to his squad.

But for Pools, their Carabao Cup run came to an abrupt end in the first round as they crash out at Ewood Park.