Jarrad Branthwaite made a positive debut for Blackburn Rovers in his first Championship outing.

The teenage Cumbrian defender went straight into the Rovers side for their home clash with Stoke.

And 18-year-old Branthwaite gave an assured display in the 1-1 draw at Ewood Park.

It was the highly-rated Wigton player's first league appearance of the season, his other first-team outing coming for Everton in the Carabao Cup.

Former Carlisle United star Branthwaite recently returned from an ankle injury but the England Under-19 player quickly settled into second-tier action.

Rovers boss Tony Mowbray said he was happy with Branthwaite's display. He said on Lancs Live: "He just does his job, plays his position, wins his headers.

"We've got to remember he's an 18-year-old boy but I thought he was steady and that's all I would ask of him every week."

Blackburn went behind to a Nick Powell goal before John Buckley equalised to keep the home side 11th in the table. Stoke's ex-Carlisle loanee James Chester was later sent off for pulling back Rovers' Adm Armstrong.

Elsewhere, it was a good day for another Cumbrian in League One.

Former Blues star Kyle Dempsey was the matchwinner for Gillingham as he fired the only goal in their 1-0 win at Accrington Stanley.

Dempsey, captain of the Gills since his summer move, produced an impressive finish just before half-time.

It was the Maryport man's fourth goal of the campaign for 12th-placed Gillingham.

Dempsey's former Carlisle team-mate Charlie Wyke had a memorable day, as he hit a hat-trick for Sunderland in their 3-0 victory at Wimbledon.

It took the striker's tally for the season to 13.