BLACKBURN Rovers boss Gary Bowyer hailed his team after a battling display at Anfield earned them an FA Cup quarter-final replay with Liverpool at Ewood Park.

Rovers fought hard to keep the home side's talented attacking talent at bay but Bowyer admitted his team were left to rue not taking one of the few decent opportunities they created.

The Rovers chief also heaped praise on striker Rudy Gestede who caused problems all afternoon.

He said: "We carried out the gameplan to a tee and Rudy Gestede played really well.

"He was immense and had a few great opportunities.

"Unfortunately we just couldn't convert one."

Bowyer praised his young side after the game and looked ahead to the replay at Ewood.

He aid: "You come to Anfield and keep a clean sheet, it is a fantastic achievement from our players.

"A lot of our team are young lads trying to make their way and to come here and have the experience is another massive boost in their development.

"We bring them back to Ewood Park and we hope we will have full crowd. It's something our fans really deserve. The pitch at Ewood is nowhere near the standard here so it might be a bit of a leveller for us."