CHERRIES’ youth team are champions of the Football League Youth Alliance South West after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Newport County.

Carl Fletcher’s under-18s, who needed only a point from this morning’s final match to lift the crown, came back from a goal down on a tricky surface at Canford School to seal their success in style.

Cherries will now join the top five teams from their division and the top seven from the South East section in the Merit League next month.

Despite dominating the early exchanges, the hosts conceded on 21 minutes when right-back Ben Walker played a quick free-kick straight to County striker Kyron Tolland whose dipping effort from the edge of the box sailed past keeper Pat O’Flaherty.

But Cherries kept plugging away and some tenacious work from Keelan O’Connell played full-back Ollie Harfield down the left and his low cross was nudged home by Matt Butcher to level matters after 33 minutes.

Conditions continued to have a stifling effect but Cherries remained on top and deserved their winner eight minutes from time.

Substitute Sam Surridge took the ball in his stride, set off on a jinking run and powered a fierce shot inside Jake Keating’s near post from the edge of the area.

Cherries: O’Flaherty, Walker, Harfield, Lander, Simpson (Jordan, 55), Worthington, O’Connell, Millar, Butcher (Surridge, 55), Suraci (Kendall, 65), Neale. Unused subs: Lee, Steadman (g/k).