A strong Rovers Under-21s side cruised through to the final of the Premier League Cup with an emphatic 6-1 victory over Nottingham Forest at Ewood Park.

Goals from Tayo Edun, Scott Wharton, Harley O’Grady-Macken, Callum Brittain and a late Charlie Weston brace booked Rovers’ place in the showpiece final, where they will face either Fulham or Brentford next month.

Mike Sheron’s side dominated from the off and opened the scoring on 10 minutes when Edun drilled a low left-foot shot into the far corner.

It was 2-0 just past the half-hour mark when Wharton headed home from a corner, via the underside of the bar, and O’Grady-Macken added a third with a clinical finish just before the break.

Forest reduced the arrears on 56 minutes when substitute Alex Gibson-Hammond headed home with his first touch, but Callum Brittain made the victory safe 15 minutes from time, before substitute Weston came off the bench to add some gloss to the scoreline with two late goals.

Rovers named a strong side for the contest, with only two players – O’Grady-Macken and Zak Gilsenan – having not featured for the first team this season.

Thomas Kaminski started in goal, with Brittain, Ash Phillips, Wharton and Edun making up the back four. Jake Garrett, Sorba Thomas, Ryan Hedges and Harry Leonard, who made his Rovers debut in yesterday’s 2-2 draw with Huddersfield Town, were also given a run-out to boost their match fitness.

Forest, by contrast, fielded a young side, with seven of their starting line-up – Zach Abbott, Josh Powell, Sam Collins, Ben Hammond, Jamie McDonnell, Kyle McAdam and Esapa Osong – having started against Rovers Under-18s at Ewood 12 months ago, in their 3-1 FA Youth Cup quarter-final victory.

Rovers enjoyed plenty of possession from the off and opened the scoring inside 10 minutes when Edun played a neat one-two with Gilsenan, before slotting a low shot into the far bottom corner.

The hosts had an excellent opportunity to double their advantage on 25 minutes when Gilsenan unselfishly played in Leonard, but his shot was saved by George Shelvey.

Rovers’ second goal did arrive soon after however, as Thomas swung over a corner from the left and Wharton’s towering header hit the underside of the bar and bounced over the line.

It was almost 3-0 on 37 minutes, as Rovers launched a lightning-quick counter-attack, led by Thomas, who slipped in Hedges to his left, but the Welshman’s shot was superbly saved.

The third goal did arrive five minutes later, as Leonard played a lovely through ball to O’Grady-Macken, who coolly fired past the Forest keeper for his second goal in as many games.

Forest made a bright start to the second half, with Julian Larsson’s flicked effort on 51 minutes going just over and Ben Hammond seeing a header saved, before they halved the deficit on 56 minutes when a cross from the left was headed home by substitute Gibson-Hammond at the back post.

Thomas ought to have made it 4-1 on 74 minutes when he broke through on goal, but Shelvey made a smart save, however the Forest keeper was picking the ball out the back of his net just a minute later, as Brittain latched onto Ethan Walker’s pass before drilling home a low shot from a tight angle.

Weston replaced O’Grady-Macken for the final 13 minutes and he certainly made an impact, sweeping Wharton’s cut-back into the top left corner on 88 minutes, before grabbing a second deep into stoppage time with a low shot into the bottom corner from Georgie Gent's centre.

Rovers must now wait until Thursday April 27th to find out who they will face in the final.

ROVERS: Kaminski, Brittain, Phillips, S. Wharton, Edun, Garrett, O’Grady-Macken (Weston 77), Thomas, Hedges (Walker 61), Gilsenan (Gent 77), Leonard (Harlock 61).
Subs not used: Gamble.

Goals: Edun (10), S. Wharton (32), O’Grady-Macken (42), Brittain (75), Weston (88, 90+3)

Booked: Brittain

FOREST: Shelvey, Abbott, Powell, Collins (Perry 24), B. Hammond, McDonnell, Perkins (Gibson-Hammond 54), McAdam (Johnson 55), Osong, O. Hammond, Larsson.
Subs not used: Bott, Thompson.

Goal: Gibson-Hammond (56)

Booked: B. Hammond, Abbott, McDonnell

Report: Rovers Under-21s 6-1 Nottingham Forest Under-21s