The under-18s bowed out of the EFL Youth Alliance Cup at the quarter-finals stage after a 2-0 loss to Cambridge United.

Played at Dorchester Town's Avenue Stadium, goals netted at the beginning and the end of the second half cost Alan Connell's side, who played a young side and were without a number of key players due to injuries.

The U's hit the post in the opening period with a shot from the edge of the box, the home side huffing and puffing without creating open opportunities.

Cambridge hit the front within a minute of the restart after a good finish, the Cherries responding after the hour mark, Owen Palmer seeing a volley saved with Brandon Channell's rebound also pushed away.

Marcus Daws blazed over and Bournemouth had a penalty appeal turned away, Matt Burgess next having a shot saved as the chase for the leveller intensified.

The visitors sealed their win late on, however, sucker-punching on the counter after clearing a Cherries set piece and going clear.

Following the match, manager Connell offered his reaction to afcb.co.uk: "In the first half we passed the ball okay and looked to switch the ball as we felt that would hurt Cambridge, and we did that quite well.

"Once we'd done that we didn't ever make the most of our overloads out wide and as a result failed to create anything in the final third against a very good Cambridge team.

"In the second half we started slowly, went 1-0 down and struggled to get a foothold in the game in the first 15 minutes of the second half - though the response after that was good, as I would expect in the quarter-final of a cup competition.

"We were more of a threat in the final third and moved the ball better, just lacked that final pass or a clinical finish in front of goal.

"We kept going and kept trying to do the right thing to get us back in the game but got done at the end by throwing extra men forwards, getting done on the counter and Cambridge scored in added time to kill the game off.

"We spoke about cup football being all or nothing on the day, Cambridge probably handled it better and we weren't clinical enough in front of goal. We didn't reach the levels that we're capable of, with the injuries and the players we've got out we had to be almost perfect and it wasn't to be.

"The real positives to come out were that we played five under-16s and for their long-term development it's great for them to see what the step up's like and what knockout football is about, that's something that hopefully those boys will benefit from.

"For the rest of them it's back to work on Monday and we'll look to improve and go again."