BLACKBURN Rovers' Under 18s strengthened their position at the top of the table thanks to a hard-fought 1-0 win over Liverpool at Brockhall.

The all-important goal came in the 49th minute when an Alan Judge flick fell to Raffaele De Vita and the Italian showed great composure to score with a right-footed shot.

Both sides hit the woodwork after that; Rovers keeper Frank Fielding tipped one effort onto his crossbar, while Junior Dadson hit the bar at the opposite end.But, in the end, De Vita's strike proved enough as Gary Bowyer's side opened up a four-point lead over the Reds.