BLACKBURN Rovers boss Gary Bowyer hailed yesterday’s FA Cup third-round victory at Championship rivals Charlton Athletic as a true squad triumph.

Bowyer was without seven first-team regulars for the third-round tie through injury, illness, suspension and ineligibility.

But that did not stop his side from running out thoroughly deserving 2-1 winners with a brace of goals from Chris Taylor who was one of six changes to the team that had started the 0-0 league draw with Middlesbrough.

Bowyer said: “It was an excellent way to start the year and I thought we were terrific and some of the football we played was up there with Bolton away, where we were outstanding.

“We had to make seven changes through illness, injury, suspension and unavailability but you saw the beauty of the squad.

“They are a tight-knit bunch who fight for each other and help each other.

“It was certainly a result for the squad and I’m delighted with certain individual performances but collectively they were tremendous.”

Rovers were missing captain Grant Hanley, who has tonsillitis, Josh King, who remains ill, the injured Markus Olsson, Jason Lowe and Tommy Spurr, the suspended Corry Evans, and the ineligible Alex Baptiste, who was refused permission to play by parent Bolton Wanderers.

 “It’s been was like a scene out of Holby City in terms of illnesses and injuries,” said Bowyer, who had youngsters Jack O’Connell, John O’Sullivan and Devarn Green on the bench.

“You saw that we had a few kids on the bench so, for sure, it’s been difficult.

“But I’m absolutely delighted with the response of everybody. They just got on with it and put in a terrific performance.”

Half-an-hour in, and with Rovers leading thanks to Taylor’s first goal of the season, the match had to be stopped for 12 minutes because of floodlight failure.

Bowyer said: “I don’t think it came at a good time for anybody but it didn’t disrupt us, we continued in the same vein.

“We started the game terrifically well and finished the game ever so strongly. I think we should have had more goals, it’s as simple as that.”

Charlton manager Bob Peeters, whose team finished with 10 men after Yoni Buyens was shown his second yellow card in the 72nd minute, said: “I’m disappointed because the first cross they put in is a goal.

“We got back and scored a good goal and had the better play, especially in the second half, but then they got the second goal and that cut our legs.”

Young Rovers goalkeeper David Raya, meanwhile, was hailed as ‘magnificent’ by former England boss Steve McClaren after he produced a man-of-the-match performance for non-league Southport in their 1-0 FA Cup third-round defeat at Championship high flyers Derby County yesterday.

Raya, whose loan at the Conference Premier outfit has now run out, pulled off a string of saves before he was beaten by an injury-time penalty.

Derby boss McClaren said: “He was outstanding, just magnificent.

“The way he was saving shots and we were missing them I thought the game would only be decided with a penalty.”