BLACKBURN Rovers' Under 19s are celebrating reaching the final of the end of season play-offs.

Saturday's 1-0 semi-final victory over Manchester City means Rovers now face a two-legged showdown with Aston Villa next month.

And Academy Director Bobby Downes was quick to pay a glowing tribute to Rob Kelly's young guns after they managed to overcome a gruelling schedule to beat City.

"It's a great achievement because a lot of the players were involved in reserve games on Tuesday and Thursday night, which isn't ideal preparation for a semi-final," said Downes.

"So they were tired on Saturday, but they seemed to get a second wind in the second half and it was a great effort to get through in the end."

Six of the players who started Saturday's game had started a reserve game at Bradford City less than 48 hours before.

But Paul Gallagher, one of the six on duty against the Bantams, grabbed the all-important goal after getting a vital touch on a shot from Alan Morgan.

The first leg of the final will now take place at Ewood on May 8 with the return leg set for Villa Park on May 13.

Meanwhile, Rovers Under 17s are through to the quarter final stages of their end of season play-offs following a battling 1-1 draw with Southampton at the weekend.

After wins against Tottenham and Liverpool, Rovers needed to avoid defeat on the south coast to qualify for the next stage.

And midfield man Peter Corvino ensured they did just that after scoring the vital goal to keep the Saints at bay.

Rovers now face a home tie against Crystal Palace at Brockhall this Saturday.

"It's a great end to the season for us to have both teams still competing for honours," added Downes.