U18 REPORT: BURNLEY 1-2 BRISTOL CITY

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Young Clarets start season with defeat at home to Bristol City

2022-08-13T13:04:06.127Z

U18 REPORT: BURNLEY 1-2 BRISTOL CITY

Young Clarets start season with defeat at home to Bristol City

2022-08-13T13:04:06.127Z

Young Clarets start season with defeat at home to Bristol City

Tony Philliskirk’s youth team began their campaign in the U18 Professional Development League with a narrow 2-1 defeat at home to Bristol City.

Striker Ryan Tioffo had grabbed a leveller late on in the first half to cancel out Ephraim Yeboah’s opener, but Kai Churchley came off the bench to grab the winner for the visitors at the Burnley Training Centre.

Making their competitive debuts for Burnley at U18 level, Philliskirk started both Vernon Masara and Dylan Sime alongside midfielder Callum West who made a summer move from non-league outfit Macclesfield FC.

The youth team also got a first run out in the 2022/23 home shirt, wearing the same Front of Shirt sponsor as the men's & women's teams for the first time ever in the Club's history.

First Half

Visitors Bristol City enjoyed the better of the opening stages, with only a superb recovery run from Tosin Olopade and an excellent one-on-one save by Charlie Casper from Yeboah preventing them taking the lead.

City’s pressure would pay off on 13 minutes though, Yeboah slipped in behind and this time finishing the chance.

With temperatures rising close to 30 degrees Celsius, there was a water break for the players midway through both halves, and when play resumed in the first half, Burnley came out firing.

At the half-hour mark, Tioffo received the ball from West and surged forward, slipping in striker Joe Westley. The frontman rattled the woodwork, but would have been denied by the offside flag anyway.

Moments later, Tioffo did have the ball in the back of the net himself, but again the young Clarets were denied by a tight offside call.

Tioffo also curled one over from the edge of the area before Nathan James headed over the bar having met Wiktor Gromek’s corner, but the equaliser was to come as the clock ticked past 45 minutes.

After a well-worked free-kick between Gromek and Brad Grant found its way to Tioffo, the forward unleashed a powerful strike from just outside of the box which flew into the back of the net, sending the teams into the interval level.

U18 REPORT: BURNLEY 1-2 BRISTOL CITY - Image 1

Second Half

And in the ascendancy, Burnley should’ve been ahead within 50 seconds of the restart. Sime showed some nice feet in and around the area to slip in Masara who rattled the underside of the crossbar with City goalkeeper Mac Boyd well beaten.

Tioffo also saw an effort go wide of the mark before the visitors rallied, and on 61 minutes, substitute Churchley took advantage of a ricochet to fire home what would prove to be the winner.

Jack Rogers was introduced from the bench prior to the water break in the second half, another player making his debut for the Club at U18 level, and with 15 minutes remaining Philliskirk’s side had four golden opportunities in less than 60 seconds.

Sime first brought a good save out of Boyd from range, with Tioffo hitting the outside of the post at the rebound. When the ball bounced back to Westley, he earned a corner forcing Boyd into another reaction stop, and defender James then headed over having met another set-piece delivery.

Pushing for an equaliser, Philliskirk then brought another three of his squad on from the bench, but it wasn’t to be, and City took the three points on the opening day.

Burnley are back in action next Saturday – August 20 - when they face a first away trip of the campaign, taking on Reading at the Royals’ Bearwood Park Training Ground in an 11:00 kick-off.

Burnley: Casper, Olopade, James, Ashton, Grant (Bates ’82), West (Rogers ’65), Sime (Vaughan ’77), Gromek, Tioffo, Westley ©, Masara (Wane ’82)

Unused Sub: Vilar Robinson

Bristol City: Boyd, James, Anderson, Henlett, Campbell-Slowey, Ali, Ap-Sion, Meerholz, Oputeri, Hutton, Yeboah

Subs: Duncan, Brown, Churchley, Owusu-Antwi, Morrison

Goals: Yeboah, ’13, Tioffo, ‘45+1, Churchley, ‘61