Youths off the mark in the Merit League

Last updated : 21 February 2005 By Andy Ashworth

Joe Booth - scored the Burnley goal
The Clarets started the game poorly, possibly still with the final Alliance League game in the backs of their mind. The Oldham side are a physical bunch and during the opening exchanges out muscled Burnley.

Within the first few minutes they had hit the Clarets woodwork, although this chance only came about due to a clear offside, missed by the linesman (who did look younger than the players).

Burnley came into it and in fairness were the only team playing the football, though this was not made easy by the sticky pitch. For long periods of the 1st half it was all Burnley but the opening goal came for Oldham, with a breakaway goal, totally against the run of play.

Joe Booth, energetic in the middle of the park, spurred his team-mates on after this setback and it was him who immediately levelled things, latching onto a ball from Tom Ince close to the edge of the box and slamming it in past the keeper.

The second half was a battle, as the pitch continued to take its toll, sapping strength and speed from both sets of players. The referee seemed to have no real idea what he was doing, giving free kicks to whomever asked him and Oldham seemed to have a side filled with lads who felt they should be the one with the whistle. They were the ones dealing out the most physical punishment however, as Tom Ince was kicked off the park and replaced by Chris McCann.

Burnley put together a period of sustained pressure as the game wound down and McCann smashed a shot against the underside of the bar after the keeper failed to take a corner. In the closing stages Mark Crossley was forced into a double stop with the 2nd one an acrobatic save.

The young Clarets were often guilty of overplaying, arriving in good areas but not finding the killer ball. They will however be glad of the improvement they have made since their last meeting with the Latics.

The Burnley team was: Mark Crossley, Rob Henry, Martin Reilly, Neal Trotman, Ryan Townsend, Nicky Platt, Joe Booth, Tom Ince (Chris McCann), Marc Pugh, Alex Taylor, Cayne Hanley (Rob Turner).

Youth team fixtures