Harrogate 0-8 Blackburn Rovers: John Buckley scores twice as visitors ease to biggest win since 1963

Report and free match highlights from the Carabao Cup second round match between Harrogate and Blackburn Rovers at the EnviroVent Stadium with Dilan Markanday, Zak Gilsenan, Tom Bloxham and James Edmondson on target in a crushing win

Wednesday 30 August 2023 22:09, UK

Teenagers Thomas Bloxham and James Edmondson scored on their senior debuts as Blackburn romped to an 8-0 win at League Two Harrogate.

Rovers enjoyed their biggest victory since 1963 in a heavily one-sided Carabao Cup second round tie, with John Buckley (2), Jake Garrett, Sam Gallagher, Dilan Markanday and Zak Gilsenan also on target for the Championship side.

The visitors, who made 10 changes to the side that started Sunday's Championship win at Watford, had the outcome wrapped up by half-time, cruising into a 4-0 lead.

First, Gallagher fed Garrett in the penalty box and he fired across goal into the bottom left corner of Mark Oxley's net for the 10th-minute opener.

Gallagher got on the scoresheet himself three minutes later, capitalising on Will Smith's failure to cut out a Buckley through-ball before coolly beating an exposed Oxley.

Buckley went on to make it 3-0 in the 34th minute after Andy Moran had rounded Oxley and squared to the unmarked midfielder six yards from the visitors' goal.

Markanday then rubbed salt in the wounds by firing into the bottom corner from the edge of the box in first half added-time.

There was no respite for the hosts after the restart with Buckley converting from the penalty spot after Warren Burrell had brought down Sondre Tronstad.

Gilsenan then rifled a 20-yard free-kick into the roof of the net, then fellow substitute Bloxham showed nimble footwork in the box before finding the bottom corner to make it 7-0.

Edmondson, introduced in the 63rd minute, tucked a one-on-one chance under Oxley 12 minutes later to become the third goalscoring substitute on a satisfying night for the visitors.