Youth team win final Gawthorpe friendly

Last updated : 27 September 2007 By Andy Ashworth
Robe Turner - scored the second goal
The match kicked off under clear blue skies and a baking sun with a Burnley line-up containing three Centre of Excellence lads. Following a short trip north of the border the youth team have another selection of injured players, showing that our bad luck in that department may not have been all used up last year. It did allow me to see some new faces and other fans to see the new crop of youngsters.

Richard Cowan, seen briefly last year, partnered Nik Kudiersky at centre half, while diminutive winger Danny Boyle was on the right wing. Welsh Youngster Liam Newman also started up front alongside Lewis Craig in a slightly surprising central role.

The first half was largely forgettable from our point of view. Accrington worried us on several occasions and we seemed a little off the pace. Our passing was slack and our covering play was weak. If Stanley had slightly better quality we would have been behind.

However, as the half wound down we were the ones to break the deadlock. Boyle had the ball on the right wing and swung in a deep cross, which Newman finished with ease.

The second half started and we still seemed to struggle to get our flowing football going. When the bench decided to change things though the game kicked into life. 2nd year lads Dean Stott, Rob Turner, Alex McDonald and Thomas Bradley all entered the fray and the effect was almost instantaneous. McDonald found himself in space and snapped in a fierce shot, the keeper doing well to parry it behind. The resultant corner was met by Bradley, who forced another save from the keeper from his powerful header. Rob Turner was then unlucky to see his shot roll wide after a strong run.

We finally doubled our lead, and it was Turner who grabbed the goal, stabbing home after a cross had broken kindly off Craig. This 2nd goal was followed by a quiet period as the game looked to have settled back down into a disjointed affair. Then out of nothing Stanley pulled a goal back. Their little forward was able to lob the ball into an unguarded net after a howler from Jon Sergeant.

This galvanised the home side and they hit back swiftly. McDonald broke down the right side and finding his way blocked played in Ben Hoskin. The full-back swung in a deep cross that the Stanley defence missed and James Craggs picked it up. Instead of snatching at a chance he rolled it back to Alex-Ray Harvey who lashed in a thunderbolt from 25 yards. Almost straight from the kick off we added another as McDonald played in Craig, who kept his nerve and beat the keeper 1-on-1.

In stoppage time we wrapped it up as Craggs swung a corner in to be met by a strong header from McDonald. The 5-1 scoreline was perhaps a little harsh on the visitors bearing in mind the 1st half display, but I was certainly impressed by the superior fitness of our lads. Next up Newcastle.

Team :- Jon Sergeant, Ben Hoskin, Matt Lomas, Nik Kudiersky (Dean Stott), Richard Cowan (Thomas Bradley), Danny Boyle (Alex McDonald), James Craggs, Dil Chaggar, Alex-Ray Harvey, Liam Newman (Rob Turner), Lewis Craig.