2025/26 U21S SEASON REVIEW: PART TWO

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Young Clarets improve in second half of campaign

2026-06-09T15:00:00.000Z

2025/26 U21S SEASON REVIEW: PART TWO

Young Clarets improve in second half of campaign

2026-06-09T15:00:00.000Z

Young Clarets improve in second half of campaign

Last week, the Club website took a look back through the first half of Burnley U21s’ 2025/26 season.

It’s now time to delve into the action from January onwards, in which Andy Farrell’s side contested 17 matches and ended the campaign on a high with silverware.

Without further ado, here’s a month-by-month breakdown…

JANUARY

The calendar year started in the worst possible way as the young Clarets fell to an 8-1 defeat at the hands of a rampant Manchester City team.

Zach Johnson then scored in a 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, before a lengthy trip to their north London rivals Arsenal finished 1-0 to the Gunners.

January finished with a 3-1 reverse at the hands of Reading, with Charlie Veevers’ strike unable to prevent defeat.

FEBRUARY

February was a lot more positive in terms of results, as Farrell and his players won two and drew another two of their five outings.

A Lancashire FA Senior Cup victory over Wigan Athletic was secured thanks to a James Ward-Prowse free-kick and Kian McMahon-Brown brace.

The Republic of Ireland youth international scored a hat-trick to help see off Brentford in the league three days later, before Ellis Clark netted a 99th-minute equaliser away at Everton.

Johnson earned the young Clarets another point in a 1-1 draw against Derby County in Leyland and netted again at Fulham’s training ground, but the team were beaten 3-1 in West London.

GALLERY: BURNLEY U21S v BRENTFORD U21S - Gallery Photo 11

MARCH

March started in unusual fashion, with two Premier League Cup games in two days. That began with the final Group F match against Stockport County, which a side featuring mainly U16s and U17s lost 3-1.

The full U21s side stormed past Colchester United 24 hours later, with young striker Destiny Okonkwo netting a hat-trick as part of a 5-2 victory.

Our league campaign continued with a victory at nine-man Stoke City, in which Johnson, Roman Egan-Riley and Vernon Masara scored at Crewe Alexandra’s Mornflake Stadium.

After a 2-0 defeat at home to Brighton & Hove Albion, a long journey south to Ipswich Town ended goalless.

APRIL

There were only two games in April and, once again, they were both played on consecutive days.

As such, a team mainly featuring first and second-year scholars lost our last Premier League 2 match of the season 2-0 to Blackburn Rovers.

Then came a night to remember under the lights at Turf Moor, as the team booked their place in the Premier League Cup final thanks to fine strikes from Clark and Masara.

GALLERY: BURNLEY U21S V WEST BROMWICH ALBION U21S - Gallery Photo 13

MAY

After our Lancashire FA Senior Cup final against Blackburn Rovers was postponed by the competition organisers, there was only one game in May.

Farrell and his players travelled to Sunderland’s Stadium of Light in search of Premier League Cup glory and got off to the perfect start, as Clark and McMahon-Brown scored either side of half-time to establish a two-goal cushion.

They were pegged back to 2-1 but managed the remaining minutes well to spark jubilant celebrations on the full-time whistle, followed by a trophy lift with fireworks to match.