[2] The club did however reach the final of the Lancashire Senior Cup in 1881, in part thanks to an argument between Blackburn Rovers and Darwen F.C.

over their quarter-final tie which saw them both expelled from the competition;[3] Park Road beat Bolton Wanderers 6–1 in the semi-final[4] but lost 6–4 to Accrington F.C.

The Roadsters walked off the field with five minutes to go in protest at the refereeing, and put in an unsuccessful protest, one reporter stating that the second Accrington goal was seen as handball "by every reporter present" and the sixth Accrington goal was so far offside that "the referee (William Peirce-Dix of Sheffield) was obviously bribed or neglecting his duty as a final judge",[5] another stating that "the greatest wrongdoer in this last piece of business connected with the already ugly career of the Lancashire Association Challenge Cup is the referee of Saturday last".

[6] In 1883–84 Park Road beat Clitheroe Low Moor 6–0, all of the goals coming in the first half, and Holden scoring a hat-trick.

The club however finished the season with its only trophy success, winning the East Lancashire Charity Shield, coming from behind to beat Bell's Temperance of Accrington at Rovers' Leamington Road ground.

In 1880, the club moved from its original Haslingden Road ground to Place Farm, a mile and a quarter from Blackburn Station.