2025/26 U18S SEASON REVIEW: PART ONE

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Scholars’ August to December goes under the lens

2026-06-12T09:00:00.000Z

2025/26 U18S SEASON REVIEW: PART ONE

Scholars’ August to December goes under the lens

2026-06-12T09:00:00.000Z

Scholars’ August to December goes under the lens

Following their league winning success of the season prior, Burnley U18s headed into their 2025/26 campaign in a positive spirit.

The awarding of category one status to the Academy meant that the team would be competing in the northern section of the U18 Premier League, against some of the best players in the country.

Tony Philliskirk and his scholars enjoyed a productive week away in Poland as part of their preparations, before kicking a ball in anger for the first time on Saturday 16th August.

Without further ado, here’s a look back at the action from August through to December…

AUGUST

The season started in the best possible fashion, with goals from Fabio So and Brandon Pouani earning a 2-0 victory over Sunderland.

An East Lancashire derby then finished all square. After Luca Scanlon’s pinpoint free-kick and another Pouani strike made it 2-0, Blackburn Rovers scored twice late on to earn a point.

Unfortunately, the month then ended with two defeats. After a 2-1 reverse at Derby County in the U18 Premier League Cup, Liverpool were rampant in a 6-1 league victory at Burnley Training Centre.

All the dates, times, venues and streaming information you need for the week ahead

SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER

Philliskirk’s side’s schedule followed the men’s first team’s in terms of international breaks, so September’s action started on Saturday 13th September.

That was a 1-0 defeat on the road at Manchester United and results unfortunately didn’t improve in the next two outings.

A Braidin Derbyshire penalty wasn’t enough to prevent a 2-1 defeat to Derby County, before Nottingham Forest scored three without reply at their Academy training ground.

There was only one fixture in October, which the young Clarets lost 3-2 to Middlesbrough. Pouani’s 10th-minute goal was followed by three from Boro, before defender Luca Fong reduced the deficit in second-half stoppage-time.

NOVEMBER

In stark contrast to October, November was one of the busiest months of the campaign with six matches in two competitions.

The first half of the month saw defeats to Manchester City, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Reading, but back-to-back victories then turned the tide.

Three league points came away at Everton thanks to Dylan Morison’s goal less than a minute into the second half, and the scholars were able to earn another victory at Stoke City four days later. Scanlon and Albert Blackie were on target that day.

2025/26 U18S SEASON REVIEW: PART ONE - Image 2

DECEMBER

That form extended into the final month of the calendar year, with victories over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United.

That Wolves win was a fantastic night under the lights to kick start the team’s FA Youth Cup run, with Kian McMahon-Brown and Morison finding the back of the net.

It then finished 5-2 in a league trip to Leeds, with James Lewis, Derbyshire, Corey King, Scanlon, and Destiny Okonkwo all finding an early Christmas gift ahead of the winter break.