“We haven’t had a mascot for 10 years and have had some trouble recruiting one. I think it’s the leather skirt they have to wear,” an Exeter spokeswoman said yesterday.”We were just asking him what kind of duties he performed and what qualities were needed. A couple of days after the game we got a phone call from him saying he fancied a change and asking if the job was still open. He’s coming for a trial on Saturday and we’ll take it from there.”Roary said: “I am a life-long Hull fan but the deal was too good to turn down.”Roary was once thrown out of a ground for stamping on an opposition supporters’ scarf, and on another occasion had a set-to with Cyril, Swansea’s rabble-rousing giant swan.. Quite an introduction, then, for Mark Hughes to life outside the top flight. He scored twice – with panache – and was the pivot around which Blackburn’s best moves were developed. And, should his new side shore up its defensive fragilities or, at least, retain their concentration for a full 90 minutes, his stay outside the level at which he undoubtedly belongs may be brief as, with Craig Hignett now fully recovered from a pre-season injury, Blackburn looked strong throughout.

Quite an introduction, then, for Mark Hughes to life outside the top flight. He scored twice – with panache – and was the pivot around which Blackburn’s best moves were developed. And, should his new side shore up its defensive fragilities or, at least, retain their concentration for a full 90 minutes, his stay outside the level at which he undoubtedly belongs may be brief as, with Craig Hignett now fully recovered from a pre-season injury, Blackburn looked strong throughout.
After recent back-to-back victories over Wimbledon and Grimsby, the home side endeavoured to impose their class by passing rather than bludgeoning their way to the danger areas, the latter a symptom of Blackburn’s under-achievement in the early stages of the season. The strategy, which had been threatening to unpick Tranmere’s fragile looking five-man back-line, paid dividends when Garry Flitcroft emerged an unlikely victor in a right-wing tussle before releasing Damien Johnson on the byline. His cross found Hughes, who struck a sweet volley for a goal on his Blackburn debut.But on their first meaningful break Tranmere’s Richard Hinds crossed for Jason Koumas and, with the defence static, the conversion was simple. Undeterred, Blackburn stuck to their task and scored twice more before the break.

Within a minute of the equaliser Hughes was again the recipient of a fine ball, this time provided by Stig Inge Bjornebye, and the Wales manager headed firmly beyond Joe Murphy. His strike partner Egil Ostenstad grabbed the third, heading in from Johnson’s cross from the right flank. While Blackburn were clearly in control, Tranmere’s Wayne Allison and Des Hamilton had opportunities to peg back the lead but rushed their shots.Blackburn emerged after the interval looking the more likely to add to their tally. Hughes, his battling instincts, enthusiasm and intelligent use of the ball undimmed by the passage of time, brought the wide players into play and, returning the favour, Johnson and Craig Hignett gave the veteran opportunities to mark his debut with a hat-trick.Tranmere’s own forward forays were meagre, only the lively Jason Koumas making an impression. If the difference between the sides was obvious on the pitch, the same could be said of their resources off it, with Souness able to tinker with his formation by bringing the midfielder Lee Carsley off the bench for Ostenstad to allow Hignett to join Hughes in attack.John Filan, the Blackburn goalkeeper, was forced to make two late saves from Scott Taylor and Koumas, before an unmarked Taylor grabbed a consolation in the final minute.Blackburn Rovers (4-4-2): Filan; Curtis, Berg, Short, Bjornebye; Johnson (McAteer, 76), Dunn, Flitcroft, Hignett; Ostenstad (Carsley, 53), Hughes Substitutes not used: Kenna, Taylor, Kelly (gk).Tranmere Rovers (5-3-2): Murphy; Hazell, Hill, Yates (Challinor, 65), Hinds Barlow; Flynn, Koumas, Roberts; Barlow, Allison (Taylor, 68). Substitutes not used: Gill, Parkinson, Nixon (gk).Referee: W Jordan (Tring)..

Nottingham Forest’s Alan Rogers and Riccardo Scimeca scored stunning 30-yard goals last night to cap their side’s biggest win of the season and leave Burnley to reassess quite how well they have adjusted to the First Division. Nottingham Forest’s Alan Rogers and Riccardo Scimeca scored stunning 30-yard goals last night to cap their side’s biggest win of the season and leave Burnley to reassess quite how well they have adjusted to the First Division.
Going into last night’s game, Forest had not won at home since the opening day of the season and had just two goals and four points to show from 450 minutes of football at the City Ground. Stan Ternent’s visitors, in contrast, went into the match looking for their fifth win of the season on the road.It was the home side who took the initiative, making the breakthrough in the third minute after Jack Lester had been bundled down. Forest’s captain, Chris Bart-Williams – who in the local paper before the match had promised fans that “We have to sort our home form, NOW” – stepped up and curled the resulting free-kick sweetly around the wall and into the corner of the net.Forest continued to look the livelier throughout the first half with both Lester and Robbie Blake making intelligent runs to await service that came, more often than not, from Rogers. After half an hour, he made dogged progress down the left before hooking across to Blake in the box.