U18 PREVIEW: NEWCASTLE UNITED V BURNLEY

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Young Clarets set for North East trip on opening weekend

2021-08-13T11:00:00.000Z

U18 PREVIEW: NEWCASTLE UNITED V BURNLEY

Young Clarets set for North East trip on opening weekend

2021-08-13T11:00:00.000Z

Young Clarets pick up second consecutive win with victory over Magpies at Gawthorpe

Tony Philliskirk and the youth team are gearing up for their second season in the U18 Northern Premier League, with a trip to Newcastle this Saturday for the league opener.

However, it has been a more than diffcult summer for the group, after a COVID-19 damaged pre-season, the youngsters have only trained together as a full group for two weeks.

And boss Philliskirk admits it has been a very difficult and challenging summer, but the squad will look to put it behind them and take the challenge on, starting from tomorrow.

Philliskirk said: “It has been a really disappointing pre-season, we had so much planned and obviously we’ve not been able to do any of it, due to the COVID situation.

“The most important thing is that the lads who had it, came through fine and are all ok.

“As a full group, we only started training last Monday, so come the first game of the season, we will have had two weeks of pre-season together.

“Usually, we have six weeks pre-season together, so it has been difficult, but that’s the hand we’ve been dealt and it’s a case of now medically now looking to see who can play.

“A few that have had COVID are suffering a little bit & we have accepted it’s going to take us probably four weeks now to get the players fit and where we need them.

Couch’s second half strike seals three points in North East for young Clarets

“We are just so far behind, we haven’t had the lads on the grass, so preparation wise, we really are behind.”

The group originally came back in for pre-season on Monday 5th July, but within the days, preparation was affected, due to a handful of positive cases.

And Philliskirk knows, although it hasn’t been the summer they had planned, the squad and staff must move on and begin the work for the new season.

“We’ve had online zoom sessions, for training, gym sessions, analysis & tried to keep it normal as possible, it’s never the same, but it’s the way it is, and we have to get on with it.

“But I’m sure we’re not the only club that has been affected by it, we can sit here feeling sorry for ourselves, but we’re not going to do that.

“It’s another challenge which we will embrace and take on and we’ll go to Newcastle Saturday, looking to perform and come away with a result.” Said the U18s boss.

The Clarets kick off their 2021/22 campaign at United’s Academy training base on Saturday, with a 1:00pm kick off.