Paul Stancliffe was full of praise for his U18s side who pulled off a wonderful performance to defeat defending champions Grimsby Town 4-1.
Junior Smith (2), Ethan Bojang and Nathan Dimou all found the back of the net to secure the first three points of the season.
Stancliffe said: “It was a great performance from the lads today – definitely the first-half was one of the best performances I have seen from a Rovers youth team for a long time.
“There was fire in their bellies to put in a good performance and start the season as we intend to go on.
“Saturday's performance was a testament to the hard work they have put in during pre-season and I told them before we came out that they are a brilliant group just for their application and attitude. Everything they have done in pre-season has been outstanding.”
Ben Blythe was named U18 captain for the 2019/20 season and Stancliffe cited the youngsters’ positive character and his willingness to always help out around the club.
He added: “Ben is the captain. He's very popular and well liked in the dressing room.
“Captains need to be leaders and somebody who leads by example and I don’t mean just on matchdays but also throughout the week – if there is something to be done, Ben will volunteer and get the lads working.”