Bolton Wanderers U18s claimed their second win in five days as they beat Stockport County 2-1, courtesy of finishes from Daniel Ogboru and Alfie Baxter, writes Harrison Gray.
Danny Clarke's side arrived on the back of a dominant midweek display against Plymouth Argyle in the U17 Professional Development League Cup, where the Whites ran out 9-0 winners.
Wanderers looked keen to pick up where they left off, starting brightly and going close inside the opening stages.
Alfie Baxter, who netted against Swansea last weekend, almost added to his tally with two efforts a minute apart. A defender blocked the first after an inviting delivery, before the second, curled from the edge of the area, whistled past the far post.
The pressure kept building and, in the 14th minute, the Whites went on the attack again. Charlie Quirk produced an excellent recovery run before spraying a pass down the channel for Denver Clement to chase and drive into the box. The County goalkeeper spilled it back into Clement's path, but he lifted his effort over the bar.
Wanderers went closest in the 20th minute. Ogboru held the ball up brilliantly in the centre of the pitch before switching it wide to Fakhy, who drove forward and returned it to the striker. His fine effort met an equally impressive save as the goalkeeper tipped it behind.
It seemed only a matter of time before the deadlock broke, but it was the opposition who took the lead against the run of play in the 33rd minute.
Stockport put together their first flowing move of the game, carving open the Wanderers defence and working a dangerous position on the left flank. Their No.3 whipped a low cross into the box, and it deflected off the unfortunate Quirk and into the bottom corner.
Wanderers found their feet quickly, and on the stroke of half-time Ogboru delivered the equaliser their play deserved. The ball found Clement in the right channel once again, and the No.10 fired a brilliant delivery into the box for Ogboru to prod home past the goalkeeper and level the scoring going into the interval.
HT: Wanderers 1-1 Stockport County
The Whites restarted as they had finished the first half, with County struggling to deal with cross after cross.
Moments after the break, Alfie Healy delivered into the area and the goalkeeper flapped at it. Ogboru could not convert from close range, striking the post before the defence cleared for a corner.
Healy was involved again from the resulting set-piece, his in-swinging delivery landing at Baxter, who fired an emphatic finish into the roof of the net to put Wanderers ahead.
Chance after chance followed as the young Whites continued to impose themselves. In the 56th minute, Sonny Coyne burst down the right channel and another low cross found Clement, but he dragged his powerful strike wide.
As the game reached its closing stages, Stockport pushed for an equaliser and another flowing move found their No.16 in the area, only for James Shillinglaw to produce an excellent save to his right and keep the lead intact.
Wanderers had the chance to seal it in the 82nd minute when Clement found himself on the right flank and picked out substitute Desilva-Zuill with an inch-perfect cross. Under pressure from onrushing defenders, his first-time strike sailed over the bar.
The Whites were not made to pay, seeing the game out to take all three points.
The result makes it two wins in a row for Clarke's side, who travel to Queens Park Rangers next weekend.