PROUD Eric Kinder praised his Blackburn Rovers side after they sealed their place in the semi finals of the U21s Premier League Cup with a 1-0 win over Newcastle United at St James’ Park.

Newcastle had lost only one game all season prior to Tuesday night’s last-eight tie and had run out convincing winners when the teams met in the U21s Premier League last month.

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But Peter Beardsley’s men could have had no complaints had their margin of defeat been greater.

Rovers, featuring fit-again first-team full-back Tommy Spurr, controlled the contest throughout.

But in the end they had to settle for just the one goal scored by Dean Rittenberg in the 21st minute.

Rovers boss Kinder said: “I’m more delighted with our performance than the win.

“A group of lads went out there determined to win a game in a magnificent stadium.

“They worked their socks off and they deserved it.”

Left-back Spurr came through 83 minutes and was part of a rock-solid back four also featuring Jack O’Connell and Anthony O’Connor and impressive 17-year-old right-back Ryan Nyambe.

Kinder said: “I thought the two centre-halves Anthony O’Connor and Jack O’Connell were magnificent. They show what we are trying to do at this club.

“We’ve sent them out on loan and they’ve come back and put in performances like that. It shows that it is the right way forward, I hope people understand that.”

Of Nyambe, who has now moved up permanently to train with the U21s, Kinder said: “Nobody can take him on in a race, nobody can out-muscle him. His positional play, for a lad who has just turned 17, is outstanding.

“I’m absolutely delighted with him, the whole back five, including goalkeeper David Raya, were outstanding.”

Lifelong Rovers supporter Kinder, who lost in-demand captain John O’Sullivan to a second-half injury, was also pleased for boyhood Newcastle fan David Carson.

He said of the midfielder: “David Carson ran himself into the ground, a Newcastle boy playing at St James Park.

“I know what it means to come back to a club you’ve supported all your life because I’ve done that.

“It was a great victory, we deserved it.”