Rovers U18s suffered defeat against Port Vale U18s in their third game of the EFL Youth Alliance Cup group stage.
Both sides fought vigorously for possession throughout the match and despite several shots taken by Rovers, they were left frustrated at being unable to get past Port Vale.
The result leaves Rovers second from bottom in their group having lost one, played one
The game was packed full of action from the get-go. In the first minute a corner was given to Vale which was cleared. The midfield was challenged as both teams battled it out to win possession of the ball and grab a hold of the game.
The first five minutes looked promising, after a tackle from Port Vale. Faris Khan kicked the ball and the attack was on despite what seemed like a quick-paced start, Rovers were offside and the ball went back to Port Vale.
On the 11th minute, Owen Scattergood won the ball and was on the attack but was intercepted in front of the goal and the ball was cleared.
Later on, Rovers came agonisingly close to taking the lead as a shot ricocheted off the cross bar.
As the half-time whistle blew, both teams came in frustrated with the scoreline at 0-0 and neither team managing to make the most of their chances.
Port Vale scored straight into the second period. They almost immediately doubled their lead but Rovers' defence stood strong to deny.
Just before full-time, the chances looked to be drying up in front of both goals, with the last noticeable effort on the 80th minute, Rovers looked like a shoo-in to score but the chance was once again intercepted by Port Vale’s defenders.
Rovers U18s will look to bounce back from their defeat as they prepare for their game against Huddersfield Town U18s in the Youth Alliance League on Saturday, October 22.