BLACKBURN Rovers have booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Lancashire FA Senior Cup after beating Preston North End 1-0 at a sun-kissed Brockhall this afternoon.

Rovers, whose starting line-up featured only two players with first-team experience, set-up a last-eight showdown at home to either Manchester United or neighbours Accrington Stanley thanks to a 25th-minute goal from Republic of Ireland U21s international Darragh Lenihan.

Lenihan, fresh back from international duty, settled the first-round tie when he put an emphatic finishing touch to a smartly worked short-corner routine involving John O’Sullivan and the fit-again Connor Mahoney, who have each made one appearance for Gary Bowyer’s senior side.

For a report and reaction see tomorrow’s Lancashire Telegraph.

Rovers: Raya, Daly, Doyle, Tanner (Carson 68), Lavelle, Lenihan, Mahoney (Joel 81), Bauress, Cham, O’Sullivan, Rittenberg (Preston 88). Subs not used: Crump, Paulo Jorge.