Rovers Under-18s will pay Blackpool every respect as they bid to make it in to the FA Youth Cup last four, according to boss Billy Barr.

The two sides meet at Ewood Park tonight (7pm) after the weather saw last week’s scheduled quarter-final tie postponed.

Rovers have improved with every round, beating Nottingham Forest 5-1 last time out, and in their fourth consecutive game at Ewood, Barr is looking for that trend to continue.

But with Blackpool having already seen off two Category One Academy sides in Southampton and West Ham, Barr is well aware of the challenge they face.

He said: “It’s one game at a time and if we don’t turn up then Blackpool go through.

“We have to make sure that we’re focussed, ready for what Blackpool will have to throw at us and hopefully carry our game-plan out against them.

“We’ve been progressing with each game and we need to carry that on.

“We’ve done the work as we have in every other round and we will pay Blackpool the same respect that we have shown everyone else. We have a game-plan and hope it can carry us through to the next round.”

Barr admits Rovers have been dealt a ‘huge blow’ with news that striker Dan Butterworth is to be sidelined with ligament damage, joining an injury list which also includes midfielder Ben Paton.

The pair are among the Under-18s squad to have already signed professional deals and will be big misses, as will Callum Wright who left for Leicester City.

Barr said: “It gives other people another opportunity and we hope we can be as good as we can be.”

Despite the absentees Rovers will be looking to 16-year-old Jack Vale to lead their charge.

The Wales youth international bagged a hat-trick in the last 16 win over Forest, with Barr believing that has given him a huge shot in the arm.

He added: “A couple of weeks before he was low in football terms, he wasn’t confident, but within the space of a week - and that phrase a week is a long time in football - he’s on top of the world.

“I was delighted for him because he’s been good this season, his goals return hasn’t shown how good he’s been, his development is going exactly how we want it to go.

“He’s dipping in and out of the Under-23s and in and out of the Wales international set-up and for him on the night it was the icing on the cake. The challenge for us is to get a few more like that.”