The young Cherries controlled much of the game, enjoying large periods of possession throughout, but were ultimately unable to break down the visitors.

The game-winning goal came shortly after half time and despite a late rally from Carl Fletcher and Joe Roach’s youngsters, an equaliser wasn’t forthcoming.

“All in all, it was a pretty good team performance,” youth team manager Flecther told afcb.co.uk. “We started well and moved the ball around quickly with purpose. We had lots of possession and there were some really good passages of play, but we weren’t clinical enough in the final third.

“It’s another good learning curve for the lads. We were the better team, but the better team doesn’t always come out on top in football. We need to be sharper in the final third.

“After the goal went in we slightly tweaked the system and played with a back three, which again was a new experience for a lot of our players.

“Our performance wasn’t bad and if we can maintain those levels we’ll certainly be moving in the right direction.”

The AFC Bournemouth under-18s are next in action away at Cheltenham Town on Saturday 15 October.

afcb.co.uk’s coverage of the under-18s is sponsored by Strategic Solutions.