Doncaster Rovers U18s were beaten 7-2 by Blackpool at Club Doncaster Sports Village 3G on Saturday afternoon. Shay Mannix and Josiah Bertie, both professional signings for the Tangerines last summer, scored hat-tricks for the visitors.
Ethan Hodgett and Bobby Harpham scored for Rovers in the defeat.
How the match unfolded
Blackpool had the first clear chance on nine minutes when Ethan Park's half-volley from a corner was blocked by Charlie Pinder, with the rebound flashing narrowly wide.
Mannix opened the scoring on 11 minutes, chesting the ball down on the edge of the area before striking into the bottom left corner. He added his second nine minutes later, tapping home from close range after Tom Rowbotham had made an initial save.
Rovers responded well and Pinder had a chance on 25 minutes when he raced down the right channel but fired narrowly wide from a tight angle.
Rovers' momentum was disrupted on 28 minutes when left-back Freddie Underwood was withdrawn through injury. The change forced a reshuffle: Josh Butler moved into midfield, Bobby Harpham shifted to right-back, and Liam Potts moved to left full-back from his favoured right side.
Mannix completed his hat-trick on 31 minutes, intercepting Rowbotham's pass from the back and sliding into an empty net. Three minutes before half-time, Mannix added his fourth when he tapped home at close range.
Hodgett saw a one-on-one effort saved by Joshua Renton as Rovers searched for a way back into the contest before the break. Harpham got Rovers on the scoresheet a minute before half-time, meeting a delivery at the back post to fire into the net. Bertie headed home at close range just before the interval to make it 5-1 to Blackpool.
Bertie got his second of the game ten minutes after half-time, turning a low cross into the net from a good position in the area.
With over 20 minutes remaining, Rovers pressed for a way back. Liam Potts went close twice within a minute, seeing two efforts saved at full stretch by Renton. His attempt on 69 minutes led to a corner, where Jonny Tomlinson's glancing header appeared to have found the net, but Renton made a sublime save to claw the ball away.
Hodgett reduced the deficit eight minutes from time, meeting Swales' back post cross to make it 7-2.