U18 REPORT: BURNLEY 0-1 LEEDS UNITED

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Young Clarets side fall to defeat against Leeds

2021-09-11T15:17:06.547Z

U18 REPORT: BURNLEY 0-1 LEEDS UNITED

Young Clarets side fall to defeat against Leeds

2021-09-11T15:17:06.547Z

U17s REPORT: BURNLEY 3-1 BLACKBURN ROVERS - Image 1

Tony Philliskirk’s youth team – which involved two Under 16’s players from the start and one off the bench – fell to their second defeat of the season as Leeds ran out 1-0 winners at Gawthorpe.

A deflected strike from Morten Spencer midway through the first half earned the visitors their second victory of the campaign.

It was a bright start to the game from both sides, with both Burnley goalkeeper Harry Moss and his opposite number Harry Christy in action early on.

Clarets’ defender Benn Ward found himself in the box and forced Christy into a save with a powerful shot before Moss reacted quickly to keep out a point-blank header at the opposite end.

Burnley then could have taken the lead through Will Couch, playing out of position up front, who dinked the ball over the onrushing Christy but saw his effort go just over the crossbar.

It was the visitors who got the first and only goal of the contest though. Spencer firing in from the edge of the box with the aid of a deflection after the ball had fallen to him from a corner.

U18 REPORT: BURNLEY 0-1 LEEDS UNITED - Image 1

Chances were at a premium for both sides after that, and Leeds took the one-goal advantage into the break.

After the restart, Keelan Williams fired just wide on the volley having met a deep cross from Sean Etaluku and Joe Bauress – an U16 – had a stinging strike from the edge of the area held well by Christy.

Boss Philliskirk made changes as the Clarets searched for an equaliser, bringing on George Walters and U16 player Sonny Pickup, but Leeds dug in and limited Burnley’s opportunities.

Nathan James also entered the action late on, with Jacson Coppack popping up in added time and heading narrowly wide of the Leeds goal after some determination from captain Jack Leckie to win the ball back high up the pitch.

*BURNLEY: Moss, Leckie, McCullough, Bauress, Sassi, Ward, Williams (James 88’), Coppack, Tioffo (Walters 63’), Couch, Etaluku (Pickup 74’)

Subs: Casper, Ashton*

Post-match at the training ground, Philliskirk reflected positively on the narrow defeat, admitting that COVID is still playing a part in the team’s shape.

“Overall, I was pleased with the effort from the lads today. I think that they have everything that they possibly could, and, on another day, we could’ve won that game.2 or 3-1.

“I’ve got to be realistic. We’ve got a lot of players playing out of position, and we’re still affected by the COVID situation. We’ve got 10 or 11 players unavailable for one reason or another and there are a lot of players to come back so I’m going to take the positives from that game.

“We had two U16s on the pitch starting the game and another one has come on as a substitute and in youth football, seeing players develop is what it’s all about.”

In a game where there was little to separate the two sides, Philliskirk admitted that a lack of intensity in the opening 45 minutes had cost the Clarets at Gawthorpe.

“In the first half, we were a little bit passive. We needed to be more aggressive in the way that we passed the ball, ran forward, and closed them down. We tasked the lads with that at half time and in the second half, they delivered it.

"I was much happier with the second half performance and the big disappointment is that we had the chances to score goals.

"Sometimes as a coach in youth development, you come away from a game thinking 'We’ve lost 1-0 and I'm reasonably happy.' Today is one of those days."