Doncaster Rovers Academy's under-18s secured a 3-1 victory over Bradford City on Saturday afternoon, with manager Brett Partner praising the squad's work rate, resilience and attacking quality.

Dylan Hartley opened the scoring just before half-time, rewarding Rovers' dominance in the first half. Harry Glaves marked his return from injury with a second-half brace after coming off the bench. Tommy Barnett provided all three assists.

Partner praises team performance

Partner highlighted the collective effort displayed by his side. "What a game. The lads, first of all, worked extremely hard," he said. "I challenged them before the game about what we as Doncaster Rovers want from our players, and I think what the community wants is players going into history."

He added that several under-16s stepped up to help secure the result. "The work rate, the battling and everything you expect from a Doncaster player, they've done it all today," Partner said.

Standout performers

Partner was particularly pleased with Barnett's creative display. "Tommy was phenomenal today. Everyone looks at the goalscorers, but Tommy's assisting was incredible, and the assists were all fantastic," he said. Barnett, who plays an age group below the under-18s, continues to perform well at both levels.

Glaves earned particular praise after his comeback from a lengthy injury absence. "He's been out for a long time and he's just a top, top professional, he really is," Partner said. "For all the hard work he's put in, I'm so glad for him today to get two goals. He thoroughly deserves it."

Partner highlighted Glaves' professionalism during rehabilitation and his impact on the pitch. "His professionalism and work rate are things people will thrive off, and him being on the pitch would just pick everyone else up," Partner said.

Building on success

Following a previous defeat to Blackpool, Partner challenged his players to learn from Saturday's win and maintain their standards going forward. "Actually, learning from a win is as much as learning from a loss," he said. "What can you learn from your mistakes, but what have you done really well and can you do it again?"