BLACKBURN Rovers Under-23s boss Damien Johnson expressed mixed emotions as his side missed out on the Premier League 2 play-offs by a single point, writes SAM JONES.

Rovers finished their season in a credible sixth position following a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa, who were also in the hunt for the play-offs going into the final game of the season.

Johnson said: “We’ve done really well to put ourselves in that position. It’s a young side and we just hoped that they could see it through. I can’t fault their effort, attitude and application. They’ve just got to be more clinical.

"We’re all feeling a little bit frustrated. The game was there to be won with the chances we created in the first half, but we couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net.

“It matters when your trying to win a game and we needed to win this game. But that’s part of their learning, to take these chances.”

On a positive note, the shutout was a sixth clean sheet of the season and Johnson was full of praise for his backline: “There is lots to take from this game. Joe Grayson has adapted well at centre-back. I thought him and Tyler Magloire were terrific.”

Rovers ended the league season in good form with four wins from their final six games. They will hope to take that run into the Lancashire Senior Cup semi-final against Fleetwood Town on Tuesday at Ewood Park (7pm).

The Villa game began at a frantic pace with the visitors having the first chance of the game on four minutes when Rory Hale played in Keinan Davis, but Rovers stopper Andrew Fisher got down to stop his near-post effort.

A mistake from Rovers' Lewis Thompson then let in Corey Blackett-Taylor, who opted to square the ball to Jordan Cox, but this time Fisher was off his line quickly to snuff out the danger.

At the other end, Lewis Mansell held the ball up and slipped in Joe Rankin-Costello, before he cut it back for Butterworth to shoot straight at Matija Sarkic.

A spell of Rovers pressure continued as Rankin-Costello weaved his way past a few Villa defenders but his long-range flew well over the bar.

Mansell then had a golden opportunity to put Rovers ahead but somehow managed to miss from a few yards out while Willem Tomlinson came close to breaking the deadlock 10 minutes before the break with a curling free-kick that came back off the post.

Johnson’s side had an even better chance on the stroke of half-time when Lewis Hardcastle won possession in the Villa half, drove at the away defence and fed Rankin-Costello, who blazed wide with only the ‘keeper to beat.

Needing a goal make the play-offs, Rovers started the second-half on the front foot.

A cross from the right found its way to Lewis Thompson at the back post but his effort was headed away in the six-yard box.

Butterworth then curled a shot narrowly wide on the hour mark as Rovers pushed for the opener.

The away side were still in the game and threatened when Davis rose highest from a Tom Leggett cross but the Villa striker could only divert his header wide.

Chances dried up in the final quarter of an hour, but Mooney should have won the game for Villa in added time but missed the target completely when clean through on goal.

ROVERS: Fisher, Travis, Thompson, Tomlinson, Magloire, Grayson, Thomson, Hardcastle, Mansell, Butterworth, Rankin-Costello. Not used: Doyle, Powell. Mols, Wright, Evans.