ERIC Kinder had mixed emotions after Blackburn Rovers U21s returned to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over West Brom at the Hawthorns on Monday night.

While delighted that his side recorded their first U21s Premier League Division Two success of the year Rovers boss Kinder felt the final scoreline could and should have been more emphatic.

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Promotion-pushing West Brom were reduced to 10 men in the 32nd minute after Kyle Howkins brought down Devarn Green in the box.

But, while Bradley Bauress converted the resulting penalty, Rovers were unable to add to their advantage.

And Kinder said: “If we had scored a second it would have been an easy night for us.

“Against 10 men we should have been 3-0 up at half-time. It was a good performance but we failed to ram home our advantage.

“We could have kept the ball better and our tempo was too slow at times and because of that we made it harder for ourselves than it should have been.

“But at a magnificent ground, on a magnificent surface, we saw the game out well. It is nice to win a league game once again.”

Rovers should have taken the lead in the 21st minute through Dean Rittenberg yet, with the goal at his mercy, he fired wide.

But they went in front 12 minutes later after a fine pass from Jack Doyle sent Green through and, as he bore down on goal, he was fouled by last-man Howkins.

It was a clear penalty and red card, and Bauress, whose penalty fired Rovers into the U21s Premier League Cup final, did the rest from the spot.

Connor Thomson should have doubled the lead before the break, heading over when well placed, before Green saw a deflected shot saved by Alex Palmer, who later denied Thomson after Connor Mahoney and substitute Sam Joel had fired wide from distance.

Palmer’s opposite number David Raya was rarely rested yet he could have been beaten in injury-time had it not been for an impeccably timed challenge from Ryan Nyambe.