The Portugeezers from Academica teach us a lesson

Last updated : 26 July 2009 By Andy Ashworth
Dom Knowles - scored the Burnle y goal
It was billed as a youth team friendly, but with our young professionals not taken to the US, those of them available were included in the squad. Adam Kay, Alex-Ray Harvey and Chris Lynch were playing alongside the current apprentices. There were some 1st year faces new to me with two 16 year old centre halves having come from outside the club to complete the intake for this year.

Our visitors got themselves pumped up in a noisy pre-match huddle and were certainly quick out of the blocks. They were typically continental in their approach, playing with pace and flair and you could tell quite quickly that it was going to be a stern test for our boys.

Indeed, the first Academica attack brought a goal with a deep cross fired over from the left avoiding our entire defence, who may have been guilty of allowing themselves to be sucked in, and falling to the Portuguese right winger. He controlled instantly and fired the ball high past Dan McDonald.

We kicked off but seemed a little flustered at the loss of the early goal and contrived to allow the right winger in again to double his tally, this time with a finish low to the right of McDonald. Naturally at this point we feared a rout from a gifted side but our lads settled and showed the necessary steel to stop the onslaught.

We came back into the game with some good football and regularly looked to play in our front two of Dom Knowles and Joe Jackson, though the flag of the assistant was a constant thorn in our side. We even had a goal disallowed which was, in the words of this sites editor, "never offside". One positive in particular for me was the joy that Michael King was having against his full back. His trickery was certainly giving the lad a headache and it certainly looked like something we could exploit as the game progressed.

However, as half time approached, the visitors added a third totally out of the blue. One of their central midfielders collected the ball and, seeing space before him, strode forward and unleashed a rocket past McDonald from 30 yards. It was just one of them shots that doesn't get saved.

The second half started and saw a number of substitutions. We replaced Irish centre half Curtis Woods with Steve Edwards and Dean Overson came on for Ed Williams. Academica made wholesale changes including the introduction of someone we were told was a Brazilian wonderkid. Within a minute he'd stung the palms of McDonald with a blistering strike and won a corner. The corner was swung in low to the front post and was shanked by Kay, onto McDonald, and into the back of the net. A cruel blow indeed and again we were wondering how many it might be.

The Clarets though hit back immediately with a good strike. Oli Devenney on the right released Knowles with a lovely ball into the box and the forward kept his cool and slipped it past the keeper. We didn't make many chances on the back of this though with most attempts at goal coming from distance and for the opposition.

With 70 minutes gone though we won a penalty. It was a blatant hold yet Academica howled their derision - obviously manly hugs in the box are allowed in the Liga Sagres. Adam Kay stepped up and, though he hit it towards the corner, there was not enough power, allowing the keeper to palm it onto the post and gather.

Dave Lynch came on for Jackson as the game wound down and Jake McEneaney limped of with Ed Williams returning but no more goals were added and the game ended 1-4.

The youth team will now go to Northern Ireland to compete in the Milk Cup, with their first came against Co. Londonderry early next week. Good luck to them in the competition.

Team:- Dan McDonald, Ed Williams (Dean Overson), Jake McEneaney (Ed Williams), Chris Lynch, Curtis Woods (Steve Edwards), Oliver Devenney, Michael King, Adam Kay, Alex-Ray Harvey, Dom Knowles, Joe Jackson (Dave Lynch).