SEASON REVIEW: U18s PART ONE

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It's been another busy campaign for our youth team. Take a look month by month…

2022-05-31T12:00:00.000Z

SEASON REVIEW: U18s PART ONE

It's been another busy campaign for our youth team. Take a look month by month…

2022-05-31T12:00:00.000Z

It's been another busy campaign for our youth team. Take a look month by month…

AUGUST

Ahead of the 2021/22 U18 Northern Premier League season, Tony Philliskirk added five new faces to his squad.

Four of those came from outside of the club - Nathan James & Wiktor Gromek (Leicester City), Trevon Bryan (a London Football Academy School), and Harry Moss (Park View Academy of Sport).

Charlie Casper, meanwhile - grandson of former Clarets manager and player Frank -, came through the Club’s U16s to link up with the youth team.

Pre-season for the squad was ravaged by Covid-19, training just two weeks as a whole group, though no signs of rustiness were shown on the opening day with a huge 8-3 win away against Newcastle United.

Meanwhile, the team’s home account was opened with a draw against Middlesbrough while completing a North-East trio, Sunderland inflicted a first defeat of the season on the young Clarets.

SEPTEMBER

Following the first international break of the season, Leeds United left Gawthorpe with three points before Philliskirk’s side began their Lancashire FA Professional Youth Cup campaign with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Fleetwood Town in the competition’s first round.

Elsewhere, Kian Le Fondre linked up with the youth team from Bolton Wanderers, there was also victory at home to Everton in the first group stage game in the Premier League Cup.

A trip to Nottingham Forest then rounded off the month with a third successive win, three goals in a 3-0 success and a third-place spot in the table which is where the young Clarets sat at that point in time.

OCTOBER

Led by the management team of David Unsworth and Leighton Baines, Everton returned to Gawthorpe in the league as October commenced. The Toffees reversed the outcome of the meeting from a fortnight prior, coming from behind to take three points.

There was then a midweek trip up to the Clarets’ Scottish partner Club Ayr United. A mid-season friendly at the Honest Men’s Somerset Park ended in a 2-1 loss but the relationship between the two Clubs strengthening, proved the real winner on the night.

Another international break gave Burnley a chance to regather ahead of a Premier League Cup trip to Arsenal in what was a first-ever meeting between the pair at youth level.

On a damp day in Hertfordshire at the Gunners’ London Colney training ground, the young Clarets twice came from behind to earn a last-gasp point. Tremaine Eastmond’s equaliser four minutes from time proving a memorable moment from the campaign.

Back in the league, Philliskirk’s side ended the month with a point at home to Derby County before losing out away at Wolves.

NOVEMBER

November most definitely started with a bang for the youth team on Bonfire Night away at Stoke City. Levelling things up late in the first half, the contest looked set to be ending in a draw, but Burnley rallied to find two goals in added time through Will Hugill and Joe Bauress which earned all three points.

Further hard-fought success in the LFA Professional Youth Cup followed, with a midweek trip to Preston North End. Illness was felt amongst the camp again, players unable to train for days ahead of the quarter-final tie, but via a penalty shootout they got the job done.

After a goalless 90 minutes at North End’s Springfields training ground, four successful spot kicks sealed Burnley’s place in the last four of the competition with Bauress, Sean Etaluku, George Walters and Hugill all converting from 12 yards out.

After another international break, Burnley returned with a point at home to Manchester United. Again earned in dramatic fashion, Philliskirk’s side trailed twice but got the all-important equalisers when required including in the 90th minute via Bauress.

However, November ended with some cup disappointment for the Clarets, bowing out of the Premier League Cup at its group stages. Despite positive results in their first two games of the group, a 3-0 defeat at home to West Ham ended Burnley's run in the competition.

DECEMBER

With one cup door closing, another opened soon after with the first game of December and the first of the season for the Clarets in the FA Youth Cup.

Played at the County Ground in Leyland, they swept aside Luton Town with a 3-0 win to reach the fourth round. Hugill and Walters put Burnley into a commanding position early on before an own goal in the closing stages sealed progression.

With postponements and re-arrangements aplenty, only one more game was to be played before 2021 drew to a close. Liverpool left Gawthorpe with three points seven days prior to Christmas.

Part two will be published shortly…