Tough task faces youth team tomorrow

Last updated : 26 September 2014 By Tony Scholes
Andy Nugent

When the fixtures were released it looked as though this could be a double match trip with the first team just a few miles away in the afternoon at West Brom; that was until Sky moved the Baggies game to Sunday afternoon.

It couldn't be a more difficult game for us tomorrow. Walsall are currently top of the Youth Alliance League with 19 points from seven games. That's only two points dropped and in those seven games they've conceded only two goals whilst scoring 15.

They kicked off their season with a 2-1 win at last season's champions Blackpool but were then surprisingly held at home 0-0 by Accrington who have picked up only one other point since.

That's the only blemish on their record and since that draw, back on 9th August, they've recorded wins against Shrewsbury, Carlisle, Wigan and Rochdale although, like us, they have gone out of the Youth Alliance Cup in the first round, losing 3-0 at home against Oldham.

Burnley go into the game having played one game less, and we've drawn three in the league and lost one, a 3-1 reverse at Rochdale, since those opening victories.

For tomorrow's game, Terry Pashley makes three changes to the team that drew against Wigan last week. Hamam El-Fitouri comes into the midfield for Brandon Wilson, Christian Hill returns at the expense of Jamal Crawford on the left whilst Ntumba Massanka, who was involved in the game against Chelsea in midweek, is on the bench with Josh Dolling starting up front with Khius Metz.

The Burnley team tomorrow is: Tony Aghayere, Waqas Azam, Shaun Hobson, Vashiko Dixon, Andy Nugent, Brad Jackson, Hamam El-Fitouri, Andreas Bianga, Christian Hill, Josh Dolling, Khuis Metz. Subs: Connor King, Brandon Wilson, Jamal Crawford, Ntumba Massanka.