PROUD Eric Kinder has paid tribute to his Blackburn Rovers side after they secured their place in the U21s Premier League Cup final and provided him with the highlight of his coaching career.

Rovers made it through to the showpiece with a superb 2-1 extra-time victory over holders Reading on Thursday night.

And the victory was made all the more impressive by the fact that their starting line-up at Leigh Sports Village contained six players who are eligible to play for the club’s U18s team including full U21s debutants Mark Edgar and Lewis Mansell.

With such a young squad Rovers have struggled in Division Two of the U21s Premier League this season with Monday’s 1-0 home loss to Middlesbrough stretching their losing league run to five matches.

But, after some harsh words from Kinder, they raised their game superbly to end the Royals’ hopes of retaining the trophy.

Centre-back Sam Lavelle, who along with Edgar, Mansell, Ryan Nyambe, Devarn Green and Connor Mahoney, can still turn out at U18s level, opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when he headed in.

And that was the way the thrilling last-four clash stayed until the 78th minute when Tarique Fosu beat the otherwise impressive David Raya.

Extra-time was required and five minutes into it the ice-cool Bradley Bauress scored what proved to be the winner from the penalty spot.

“We were critical after the defeat to Middlesbrough so we demanded more of them and they couldn’t have given us anymore,” said lifelong Rovers fan Kinder, who returned to the club in 2013 after seven years in charge of Carlisle United’s academy.

“They were brilliant and worked their socks off and, especially in extra-time, they stood up to everything. I’m proud of every one of them.

 “It is probably the best result of my coaching career. I got to the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup with Carlisle but this tops it.

“This is a harder league and this is a harder competition so I’m absolutely delighted to be in the final.

“We’ve had to put up with hard games and some tough results so to get this result means everything.”

Kinder hailed the guts of match-winner Bauress, who took over the spot-kick duties after Green was substituted, and the performance of tireless striker Mansell.

The 17-year-old, who made his U21s debut against Middlesbrough three nights earlier, won the corner that led to Lavelle’s opener and the penalty that Bauress converted.

“Lewis has had a good night and he’s had a good week,” said Kinder, who was quickly congratulated by watching first-team manager Gary Bowyer.

“He’s just said to me that it’s been the best week of his life and I said there will be a lot more good weeks to come if he keeps his feet on the floor and he keeps listening.”

Rovers will play either table-topping Division Two rivals Derby County or Division One title challengers Southampton in the two-legged final.

And Kinder said: “I’ve got no preference as that would be disrespectful to both sides.

“If you’re asking me who I think will win the other semi-final, I’d say Southampton, and if they do that would be a great test for us because they are one of the top academies in the country.

“But I’m not bothered who we play, I’m just delighted to get through, and the lads deserve all the credit.

“We can go and play the rest of our league games with a bit of freedom now knowing we’ve got something to look forward to.

“But as I keep repeating, the main thing is to try and get a couple of these into the first team inside the next two years.”

Rovers resume their league programme on Monday when they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Ewood Park (7pm).