Stefan Mols scored on his injury comeback as Rovers Under-23s moved within touching distance of lifting the Premier League 2 Division Two title.

Mols returned to the side after five months out with a fractured tibia to open the scoring as Rovers comfortably beat Newcastle United 2-0 at Leyland.

Joe Nuttall scored his 21st of the season 15 minutes from time meaning Damien Johnson's side need just a point from their game with Aston Villa at Ewood Park next Monday to secure the title.

They opened up a seven point lead over Villa after their two second half goals against the Magpies.

Rovers started on the front foot and went close to an early goal when a well-worked corner picked out Joe Nuttall who crashed an effort off the inside of the post.

His follow-up effort was deflected over the bar, and from the resulting corner Nuttall met a Joe Grayson in-swinger only to glance it wide of the far post.

Nathan Harker in the Newcastle goal made his first save in the 13th minute which came about after his poor kick. It landed at the feet of Hardcastle, with the ‘keeper having to backpeddle to deal with his 30 yard effort.

It was from a set play that Rovers threatened next, Grayson opting to go short to Hardcastle who curled over from the left edge of the area.

Rovers weren’t making the most of their good opportunities in the final third as the half hour mark was reached with the score still 0-0.

Neat work between Hardcastle and Okera Simmonds on the edge of the area presented Nuttall with another shooting chance in which Harker unconvincingly turned wide.

The half somewhat petered out with things not quite happening for Rovers in the final third, with Newcastle rarely threatening.

That changed in the opening stages of the second period, Dan Barlaser winning possession from Travis before skipping inside Tyler Magloire, only to be denied by the bravery of Andrew Fisher.

But within 60 seconds Rovers were ahead. Jack Evans whipped in a cross from the left which was met by Stefan Mols who nodded in to the far corner.

Hardcastle then failed to find the target with two efforts from the edge of the box in the space of a minute.  The first was a free-kick which he bent up and over the wall but couldn’t keep it down.

The second came after excellent interplay down the right between Mols and Travis, but the skipper’s effort failed to test Harker.

Rovers were really trying to press home their advantage as the ball fizzed across the Newcastle six yard area as the visitors tried to hold out.

But the pressure paid with 15 minutes to play as after keeping the ball alive, Travis crossed from the right for Nuttall to turn home from inside the six yard box.

In an almost identical move, Nuttall found the back of the net from a Tomlinson cross, only to be flagged offside as the score remained 2-0.

It was a comfortable night for Fisher as Rovers made it nine clean sheets in their last 11 games.

Rovers: Fisher, Platt, Magloire, Grayson, Travis, Hardcastle, Tomlinson, Evans, Mols (Buckley, 79), Simmonds, Nuttall

Subs: Albinson, Barnes, Vale, Albinson

Newcastle: Harker, Williams, Wilson, Hunter, Yarney, Bailey, El-Mhanni, Barlaser, Charman (Fernandez, 55), Sangare (Ward, 34), Roberts (Bartlett, 55)

Subs: Spooner, Langley