Despite spells of some of their best football of the season so far the under-18s went down 3-0 at home on Saturday to a very tall and strong Blues selection.
After Asa Hall had headed a fine goal to put the visitors into the lead after ten minutes, the Dons youngsters then moved into gear. For the next 20 minutes they tore their opponents apart, Sam Baldock sprinting through for his effort to be booted off the line, Jamie England firing just wide from distance, Dean Lovegrove, pictured right, shooting just over after a fine move involving Sam Collins and Baldock and Sam Page having a powerful header from a corner tipped over the bar.
Try as they might the equaliser would not come, even though their visitors had done their best by almost scoring two own goals and soon after the interval it was the Blues who added to the scoreline with a fine goal from the impressive Nathaniel Howell.
The same player then made it three from close in after 52 minutes, and in doing so effectively putting the game out of the home team's reach. Baldock continued to cause problems and had a good run and cross that flashed across the box. And in the last minute Joe Howe had a good opportunity to score from a header after a neat headed set-up by Page, but visiting keeper Adam Legzdins made a good block to keep a fine clean sheet on the day.
Team: Webb, Howe, Murphy Page, Collins, Battams (Kent), Day, Morley, England, Lovegrove, Baldock. Not used: Flood, Nash, Koffi, McCormick.