AFC Bournemouth Under-18s snatched a 1-0 win away to Bristol Rovers Under-18s, thanks to Nathan Moriah-Welsh’s second-half strike on Saturday.

The victory sees Alan Connell’s side extend their impressive unbeaten run in the league to 14 games.

Three points were more comfortable to come by than the score-line might suggest, as the Cherries limited Rovers to very few chances. Following a quiet first half, Jack Torniainen saw a goal ruled out for offside, five minutes before Moriah-Welsh’s lovely left-footed effort found the net to open the scoring on the 65th minute.

Speaking to afcb.co.uk after the game on the performance and the result, Under-18s manager Alan Connell had this to say:

“Some of our players were out with their loan clubs today so we had to make a few changes from the cup game on Wednesday. We started with seven first-years and we put a big emphasis on them to pass the ball better and play out under pressure.

“Their willingness to take the ball and find a way out in difficult situations was generally really good. Players were helping each other out and we created a few chances from that style.

“In the second half we started brightly and created better chances higher up the pitch. After we scored, we kept pressing and made it difficult for Bristol. They grew into it a bit but we defended well around our box. I was pleased with how we took the sting out of the game and saw it out.

“We had some chances towards the end on the counter, but we kept the ball well and limited Bristol to very few chances.

“It was a good test of character against a good Bristol side who were intent on trying to win the ball back high off us. Credit to our players for sticking to our principles. It’s nice to have that sort of a performance and the win’s a bonus.

“If I had to highlight individuals, I’d pick out Nathan Moriah-Welsh and James Oliver for their performances today. They both played really well.

“We’re looking forward to playing Oxford United away on Thursday. We always have competitive games against them and we’ll try to carry on the recent good form while looking to improve in certain areas.”

The AFC Bournemouth Under-18s side are sponsored by Strategic Solutions.