Youth team finally get back to winning ways

Last updated : 05 October 2014 By Andy Ashworth
Unstoppable volley from Brandon Wilson for the third

We’ve been somewhat spoiled with our start to the season in that our home games have been at local non-league grounds that offered both seating and cover. Today saw our return to Gawthorpe though and we were duly greeted with the typical horizontal rain that seems to come as standard with matches down at the training ground.

We had quite a strong side out with only 1 of our 2nd year scholars sidelined – namely Andreas Bianga. The rest all started the game, including Captain Waqas Azam in an unfamiliar centre half role. Prior to the game I noted that Morecambe had a poor record so far this season and with the capabilities I know we have I expected a game with only one outcome.

We started well as expected. After around 5 minutes we took the lead and there was perhaps more than a touch of fortune in the end. Christian Hill picked up the ball and scanned forward, playing the ball up to Khius Metz. The striker cut back in field onto his right foot, shimmied past a defender and shot low at goal. The keeper was behind it and it seemed like a simple save, but the ball squirmed under him and he couldn’t recover in time to grab the ball before it rolled over the line.

Our pressure from this point was quite relentless. Hamam El-Fitouri took a pot-shot from range and the keeper just about managed to get over at full stretch to tip behind. The right wing corner from Brad Jackson was headed just wide by Shaun Hobson. Shortly after a shot on the run by the powerful Ntumba Massanka needed everything behind it from the Morecambe keeper once more, and the rebound spun off and broke just out of the reach of the onrushing Brandon Wilson. We were playing good football and it had purpose rather than hope – the opposite of the last game I had watched when we fell to Wigan at Nelson. We seemed to be getting in behind Morecambe at will and it seemed that it would only be a matter of time before we extended our lead.

Massanka had another glorious opportunity but shot tamely at the keeper when well placed in the box. Jackson also has a far post header from and Andy Nugent cross which looked a certainty for a goal, but it was weak and the keeper saved easily. However, with around 25 minutes played in the game we did double the lead. Massanka picked up the ball on the left wing and skinned the full back. He got into the box and hit the byline before looking up and squaring the ball to Jackson who sidefooted home from a yard or two out.

Morecambe regrouped after the goal and finally settled into a shape that could contain us. The initial shock of our barrage had shaken them, but for the remainder of the half they created much more of a problem for us. They even looked to make a few attacking probes, but not enough to get them in a position to test Tony Aghayere in the Claret goal.

The 2nd half started similarly to the 1st with Burnley pressure. Metz drove down the left wing and tried an audacious lob but the keeper managed to turn it behind. The corner from the right wing was drifted over by Jackson and Massanka nodded it back to an unmarked Wilson. He was a couple of yards out and took delight in hammering an unstoppable volley home. With a three goal lead we should have gone on to much more but perhaps we became a little guilty of breaking down more into a collection of individuals who all felt they could get goals, rather than continuing to play for each other. We certainly still had plenty of chances though.

Hill had two good opportunities, both of which were well saved at full stretch by the Morecambe keeper. We also had a golden opportunity as Metz jinked into the box and drew a foul giving the Clarets a penalty.  Metz himself stepped up but he shot straight down the middle, but with very little power. The keeper dived away but had the wherewithal to fling his hand back and save the spot kick.

Around 20 minutes into the half we started to make changes and replaced Jackson and Massanka with Josh Dolling and Jamal Crawford. Before long Dolling found himself in space and saw his curling sidefooted effort saved once more by the keeper.

Schoolboy Alex Richardson replaced Vashiko Dixon for the final 15 minutes, which saw Azam switch back to the full back position. We never seemed to be any real danger at the back anyway, but inexplicably we seemed to want to trouble the league disciplinary body as both Wilson and Dolling received stern words from the ref for some very unnecessary dissent.

The final chance of note in the game fell to the impressive Hill bit his shot from the edge of the box clipped the far post and we had to settle for a 3-0 result.

Team:- Tony Aghayere, Vashiko Dixon (Alex Richardson), Andy Nugent, Shaun Hobson, Waqas Azam, Hamam El-Fitouri, Brandon Wilson, Brad Jackson (Jamal Crawford), Chris Hill, Ntumba Massanka (Josh Dolling), Khius Metz.
Sub not used:- Connor King.