CHERRIES marked their historic debut in the Professional Development League with a 2-0 victory over Coventry City.

Having been granted category two academy status over the summer, Cherries are now part of a regular league programme against higher level opposition then they previously faced.

And they got their campaign underway win a win at the Coventry Building Society Arena, thanks to goals from Michael Dacosta Gonzalez and Daniel Adu-Adjei.

In front of more than 300 fans, it was the hosts who made the bright start, but could not trouble Cameron Plain in the Cherries goal.

Ben Greenwood, who was on the bench for the first team in the Premier League at the weekend, came close to breaking the deadlock, before the visitors did get their noses in front.

Spain-born Dacosta Gonzalez won a free-kick 25 yards out and fired home, becoming the club’s first scorer at this level.

Adu-Adjei missed two good chances to extend the lead for Alan Connell’s men, with substitute Baylin Johnson also looking dangerous.

With the margin still at just one goal, Coventry pushed for an equaliser. Cherries were thankful to Plain, who produced a fine one-handed stop to deny Danny Cashman.

That allowed his side to wrap up the win, striker Adu-Adjei latching onto Archie Harris’s pass to fire home.

Cherries: Plain, Tonks, Kinsey-Wellings, Bevan, Greenwood, Wadham (Johnson, h-t), Williams (Winterburn, 66), Tydeman (Okoh, 76), Sadi, Dacosta Gonzalez (Harris, 83), Adu-Adjei.

Unused sub: Allan (g/k).