ROVERS started life in League One with a disappointing defeat at Southend United.

Southend led 2-0 at the break in a first-half in which they dominated, with Ryan Leonard and Michael Kightly on the scoresheet.

Rovers threatened a comeback when Charlie Mulgrew curled in a stunning 30-yard free-kick, but unable to build on that momentum, they rarely threatened an equaliser.

Tony Mowbray named four of his new signings in his starting line-up, but Rovers were soon under pressure.

Southend were much the better side in the first half, forcing a save from David Raya as early as the 13th minute as the stopper dealt with a Ryan Leonard drive.

Moments later, Simon Cox should have made the Spaniard work, only to volley over from the edge of the box after being found by a Jermaine McGlashan cross.

Rovers’ only shot on target in the first half was to come in the 18th minute, and from the boot of Elliott Bennett. He collected a Danny Graham nod-down, but his effort from the edge of the box was palmed away well by Mark Oxley.

Utilising the strength of Marc Antoine-Fortune, Souothend were winning indvidual battles all over the pitch, and threatened again when Jason Demetriou saw a long-range effort saved by Raya.

Raya was forced in to action once again moments later, tipping over a Jermaine McGlashan volley as he found himself unmarked at the far post to meet a Kightly cross.

And from the resulting corner, the hosts’ pressure was to tell as Leonard ghosted in at the far post to sweep home an inswinging corner from Stephen Hendrie.

Struggling to find a foothold in to the game, Rovers actually enjoyed their best spell moments before Southend made it 2-0. That came from Kightly who had the simple job of firing home from 12 yards after Raya had denied Fortune with his feet.

In between, Rovers should have levelled, only for Bradley Dack to nod over a Charlie Mulgrew cross from inside the six yard box in what was their best chance of the opening 45 minutes.

And moments before the break it could have been 3-0, only for Cox to volley wide from the edge of the area after picking up yet another Fortune flick.

Rovers needed a fast start in the second half, and got it, as they stepped up their tempo in a bid to haul themselves back in to the game.

After a spell of pressure, they did just that courtesy of an excellent Charlie Mulgrew free-kick. The Rovers skipper whipped an effort over the wall and in to the net, via the post, in front of the travelling fans, similar to that he scored on the final day of last season at Brentford.

After that early spell of momentum however, Rovers struggled to find another route to goal, turning to their bench in a bid to find an equaliser.

But Rovers had to be wary of conceding a third with Michael Timlin finding the roof, rather than the back of, the net with his effort, before Raya made an excellent save to deny Fortune’s header from inside the six yard box.

Having made all their changes, there was concern for Rovers as the match ticked towards the final whistle, with Darragh Lenihan struggling, he was sent to play upfront.

That certainly didn’t help their quest to find an equaliser, with Southend goalkeeper Mark Oxley untroubled after Mulgrew’s free-kick.

The ball was at the wrong end of the pitch for Rovers in the late stages, with Theo Robinson heading over a left-wing cross while McGlashan fired an effort over Raya’s crossbar.

And the game ended with Southend in the ascendancy, as Robinson and Fortune both spurned chances before the whistle.