BLACKBURN Rovers welcome Stoke City to Brockhall today (11.30am) for their final U18s Premier League home match of the season.

And David Lowe’s side will go into the game on the back of a 3-1 home loss to Reading on Saturday.

Rovers, in confident mood after a midweek win over Sunderland, opened the scoring in the 55th minute through Stuart Callaway.

But a strong Royals outfit who reached the semi-finals of this season’s FA Youth Cup hit back to take the points.

Rovers boss Lowe said: “Apart from the scoreline I felt the boys applied themselves very well against tough, experienced opposition.

“They were stronger physically than ourselves but we were never out of the game.

“It was another good test for our squad, the only disappointment was we didn’t create as many chances as we could have done.”

After a first half in which opportunities were few and far between Rovers broke the deadlock when Callaway’s crisp effort from outside the box took a deflection on its way into the net.

Parity was restored almost, immediately, however, and after Reading went in front in the 69th minute, they sealed victory late on with a Ryan Nyambe own goal.