Paul Stancliffe’s U18s side were unlucky as they slid to a 1-0 defeat against York City U18s at Cantley Park.
Captain Cody Prior showed excellent strength in the opening stages as he saw off two markers before laying the ball off to Matty Overton whose resulting cross did not create a big threat to York.
Prior was later involved again as his free-kick from 30-yards rocketed towards Ryan Whitley, in York’s goal. The visiting dropped the ball, but his blushes was saved as the ball was eventually cleared by his defenders.
Down the opposite end of the pitch, York had a free-kick from a similar distance, but it was blocked by the rising Martin Smith in Rovers’ three-man wall.
Rovers quickly countered through Cameron Barnett who played in the open Elliot Wilson who forced Whitley into a low diving save to his bottom right corner.
From the referee’s whistle to start the second-half it was all Rovers, as Barnett led the attack and had an early effort deflected away from danger.
York’s first meaningful attack of the half saw them strike on the hour mark. A smart counter-attack from them saw Flynn Naughton take on the onrushing Declan Ogley before running the ball past the Rovers keeper - he then laid the ball off to the awaiting Aston Harrison who hit the ball into an open net.
Rovers responded quickly as Barnett saw two efforts cleared off the line through the alert York centre-backs.
Overton won a penalty for Rovers with 10 minutes to go and he stepped up to take the resulting spot-kick, which Whitley saved – diving towards the right-hand post to par the ball away.