Northampton Town Under 18s won 2-1 away to Bristol Rovers in the EFL Youth Alliance Merit League Two on Saturday morning.
Leo Jenkins and Neo Dobson (pictured) scored the young Cobblers’ goals as they made it two wins from two at the start of the second stage of the season.
Bristol Rovers edged possession in the opening 45 minutes, but Northampton created the majority of the chances.
The first fell to the hosts in the first minute, Lewis Pinchard half-volleying across the face of the Cobblers goal.
The visitors finally got going and created a flurry of chances after the quarter-of-an-hour mark, Harry Guess almost beating ‘keeper Ross Mason to Josh Rayfield’s through ball and Reuben Wyatt coming close with two strikes from the edge of the area.
Jenkins almost opened the scoring on the half-hour, but he was unable to divert James Owen’s wide free-kick on target after Mason missed his punch.
The defender opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time, somewhat against the run of play. Mason was involved again as he failed to claim Kiantay Licorish-Mullings’ long-throw, Wyatt flicked the ball on and Jenkins finished on the turn.
Buoyed by their opening goal, Northampton improved in the second half and should have doubled their advantage early on when Dobson skewed high-and-wide with three teammates unmarked in the middle.
The forward made amends out of nothing a few minutes later, picking the ball up on the edge of the box and curling into the top corner after dribbling past a number of defenders.
The Cobblers had been in control since the start of the second period, but their opponents pulled a goal back after the hour when Jerry Lawrence steered a header from a wide set-piece into the bottom corner.
The momentum was now in Bristol Rovers’ favour, and they missed two huge chances to equalise going into the last 15 minutes. Ryan Crawford was left free at the back post, but Marcus Bald denied him one-on-one and the substitute hit the top of the crossbar with the goal gaping on the rebound.
The youth team managed to hold on to all three points in a tense final quarter-of-an-hour. They make another long journey next week, travelling to Exeter City in their third Merit League fixture.
Cobblers: Marcus Bald, Will Ronald, Leo Jenkins (sub Jack Culwick 86), Tom Cartwright, Kiantay Licorish-Mullings, Jamari Hart, James Owen (sub Charlie Carroll 72), Josh Rayfield (sub Peter Abimbola 61), Reuben Wyatt, Harry Guess, Neo Dobson
Subs not used: Tom Ladyman, Matty Ireland