2025/26 U21S SEASON REVIEW: PART ONE

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Reflect on the start to the Young Clarets’ season

2026-06-02T09:00:00.000Z

2025/26 U21S SEASON REVIEW: PART ONE

Reflect on the start to the Young Clarets’ season

2026-06-02T09:00:00.000Z

Honours even in the Leyland rain

It was another season full of hard work for Burnley U21s, who were competing at Premier League 2 level following the Academy’s Category One award.

The team, led by Andy Farrell and Charlie Adam, also entered the National League Cup for the first time and went on to win the Premier League Cup with a string of fine performances.

Over the next few weeks, the Club website will take you on a guided look back through their results.

Without further ado, here’s a magnifying glass on the first half of the campaign…

AUGUST

The first month of the season had four matches, starting with our debut in the National League Cup. Rochdale were the opponents on a sweltering day, and it finished 2-1 to the non-league side.

Sandwiched between 2-1 league defeats to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United was a 3-2 triumph at Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre.

Kian McMahon-Brown’s brace was accompanied by Manuel Benson’s well-placed effort on a Bank Holiday Monday.

SEPTEMBER

September started with an international break but it was straight back to action for Andy Farrell’s side, with five matches in 14 days.

Results were mixed, with a draw on the road at Solihull Moors being followed by a 2-1 defeat away at Southampton.

Another lengthy trip to Cardiff City in the Premier League Cup was won thanks to goals from Kamarni Ryan and Charlie Veevers, but our return to home soil ended in defeat to Sunderland.

Our Lancashire FA Senior Cup then started with a 2-1 victory over Barrow, in which McMahon-Brown and Ellis Clark both came off the bench to net.

U21S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 2-1 BARROW - Image 2

OCTOBER

October included two victories – one over Stockport County in the Premier League Cup group stages that included a stoppage-time winner.

The other was a comprehensive 4-1 result at Norwich City in which centre-back Jesse Williams scored twice, with Joe Bevan and McMahon-Brown also on target.

Elsewhere, the Clarets were beaten narrowly by Chelsea and Birmingham City, but found themselves on the wrong side of a 4-0 reverse to Tamworth in the National League Cup.

NOVEMBER

Three of November’s four outings were in cup competitions, but the month started with a last-gasp defeat at Newcastle United in the league.

After Queens Park Rangers earned a come-from-behind victory in the Premier League Cup, another Bevan goal was unable to prevent a loss to Brackley Town in the National League Cup.

It was a positive finish to the month, though, courtesy of a 3-1 win over Cardiff City. Bevan, Jaydon Banel and Vernon Masara were on target in Leyland that night.

DECEMBER

The final month of the year had only one match, which Andy Farrell’s side won to end 2025 on a high.

It was a long trip to Queens Park Rangers in the penultimate PL Cup Group F match, and Banel’s penalty was the only goal on a bitterly cold evening.