Bolton Wanderers youngster Christopher Cvetko is at the double in derby win

Wanderers Under-18s began the second half of their league campaign with a derby victory at Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.

David Lee and Tony Kelly’s team had already notched a friendly win against Preston since returning to action a week earlier.

But this was a second successive win in the FA U18 Premier League.

The young Whites took the lead in just the 11th minute when a ball in from the left found Christopher Cvetko in space on the edge of the box and he fired home.

Rovers drew level midway through the first half when Sam Joel fed Yeray Torres and he finished with aplomb past Whites stopper Harry Campbell.

Level at the break, it was Wanderers in the ascendancy again at the start of the second half and they edged ahead again on 57 minutes when Cvetko scored his second with a low drive from 18 yards.

Ten minutes later, however, Rovers were level again when George Pierce steered home a shot.

Lee and Kelly’s side were not done, though, and sealed the points when two substitutes combined for the winner in the final minute of the 90.

Jamie Hinchcliffe crossed from the right and Guillermo Torres was on hand to convert.

It was a victory that pleased Lee who said: “We started the game very positively, having the better of the play.

“We created several early chances, before Christopher Cvetko opened the scoring with a great low strike from the edge of the box.

“We were pegged back twice, but at 2-2 we took control of the game and deserved to win.

“It was a very good all-round performance.”

The U18s will go for a hat-trick of league wins back on home turf at Lostock on Saturday when they host Everton, kick off 11am.

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Following Dougie's clear out over the last year it seems that the U21s are getting better having promoted a few of the successful U18 team and the U18s haven't suffered too much from the loss of those players as those coming through are doing the business.
I know it's only "green shoots" but on the surface it looks like the pipeline of future players is looking far healthier than when he took over - which is good as the lack of transfer funds means we'll have to depend on them at some stage.

None of them will ever make it into our first team. Better to shut the youth team and open up a nursery.

We need to make money, not throw it away on chavs.

wanderlust wrote:Following Dougie's clear out over the last year it seems that the U21s are getting better having promoted a few of the successful U18 team and the U18s haven't suffered too much from the loss of those players as those coming through are doing the business.
I know it's only "green shoots" but on the surface it looks like the pipeline of future players is looking far healthier than when he took over - which is good as the lack of transfer funds means we'll have to depend on them at some stage.

Yeah, but the problem is, by the time these young prospects are deemed good enough to start in the first team, there's a very real chance we'll be in League One or Two.

What have we really got to lose?

If any of them show even a spark of promise, I'd be putting them on the bench for league games now to speed up the whole integration process while we're still within touching distance of the promised land.

Breadman wrote:

If any of them show even a spark of promise, I'd be putting them on the bench for league games now to speed up the whole integration process while we're still within touching distance of the promised land.

That only happens at other clubs. Who was the last youth player to make it to the first team and become a regular?

In fact, has there even been one in the last 20 years? Nicky Hunt perhaps?