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Preston beat Port Vale 5-2 with Walsall just one goal behind in their win over Macclesfield. They weren't the biggest winners of the day though, that honour went jointly to Shrewsbury, who have now moved into third place on goal difference, and Wrexham who had four goal wins over Chester and Tranmere respectively.
But the biggest change in fortune this season is Burnley's. When we travelled to Port Vale at the beginning of September we were joint bottom of the league without a point in the first three games. We won 4-1 that day, and then beat Accrington in our next game.
Even so it didn't bring about an immediate improvement with only one point following in the next three games with a Youth Alliance Cup exit during that period. It wasn't looking as though it would be a good season but there were mitigating circumstances.
This season our youth team is very young with a big imbalance of first years but to add to that we were hit with an amazingly long injury list, one that has still not been cleared with such as Dean Overson still to kick a ball after breaking his ankle in pre-season.
A 4-0 defeat at home to Carlisle on the second week of October didn't come as a big surprise, but everything changed round the week after when we got a late and much deserved winner in the game at Bury.
Since then it's been a different looking team. The win over Carlisle on Saturday was our sixth in succession in the league and to add to that we've beaten an in form Scunthorpe in the FA Youth Cup as well as winning a friendly against Everton.
It's slowly moved us up the league and although we are not likely to catch the top two it is now looking as though this is going to be another good season at youth level.
Elsewhere in the league last Saturday, Oldham were the only other winners with two games drawn.
For much of the league now it is a Christmas break although there is one game this coming Saturday between Macclesfield and Rochdale.
With a game against Manchester United to look forward to in the FA Youth Cup, 2010 should get off to a good start for our youth team. But what a fantastic 2009 they've had. It started with the incredible run last season that saw us come close to winning the Youth Alliance League and the Lancashire FA Youth Cup. I'm convinced only a fixture pile up prevented us from winning both but there was the consolation with many of the team being involved in the winning of the Central League.
Five of that team went on to win professional contracts and now the new season has picked up better than any of us dared hope. Well done to everyone involved in youth development at Burnley Football Club and long may the successes continue starting with the home game against Morecambe on 9th January.
Last Week's Results
Saturday 12th December
Accrington 2 Rochdale 2
Blackpool 1 Bury 1
Carlisle 0 Burnley 2
Chester 2 Shrewsbury 6
Oldham 2 Morecambe 1
Preston 5 Port Vale 2
Tranmere 0 Wrexham 4
Walsall 4 Macclesfield 2
Next Fixtures
Saturday 19th December
Macclesfield v Rochdale
Saturday 9th January
Accrington v Oldham
Burnley v Morecambe
Bury v Preston
Carlisle v Rochdale
Chester v Stockport
Macclesfield v Tranmere
Port Vale v Shrewsbury
Wigan v Walsall
Wrexham v Blackpool
Burnley Goalscorers (League and Cup)
9: Michael King
6: Joe McKee
5: Dom Knowles
4: James Taylor
3: Joe Jackson, Liam Newman
1: Curtis Woods, own goals
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