U18S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 5-2 SHEFFIELD UNITED

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Ninth straight league victory for Tony Philliskirk’s side

2025-03-22T16:02:56.039Z

U18S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 5-2 SHEFFIELD UNITED

Ninth straight league victory for Tony Philliskirk’s side

2025-03-22T16:02:56.039Z

Ninth straight league victory for Tony Philliskirk’s side

Burnley U18s came from behind twice to seal an important 5-2 victory over play-off hopefuls Sheffield United on Saturday afternoon.

Benji Wetshi’s hat-trick, alongside goals from Frankie McMahon-Brown and Adam Abbas, mean the young Clarets have now won nine league matches on the spin and are unbeaten in 12.

In what was a strongly-contested encounter, the most noteworthy action of the first 20 minutes were a yellow card for each team.

After Vernon Masara was booked for an adjudged dive, United’s Riley McLachlan was cautioned for a late tackle.

McLachlan then opened the scoring minutes later, firing a free-kick into the top right corner.

That seemed to kick the young Clarets into life as Logan Carlin flicked a corner narrowly wide and Masara was denied by a last-ditch tackle.

U18S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 5-2 SHEFFIELD UNITED - Image 1

McMahon-Brown equalised with 35 on the clock and it was the first of the team’s three set piece goals, doing well to head Adam McCoy’s deep corner in at the back post.

Parity lasted just two minutes though, as Arlo Coubrough closed down Connor Edwards and the Burnley ‘keeper’s clearance ricocheted fortuitously into the net.

After words of encouragement at the break Wetshi made it 2-2 with a goal similar in style, forcing the opposition ‘keeper into a mistake and scoring from close range.

Philliskirk’s first substitution came after 68 minutes when Abbas replaced Masara, and shortly afterwards Oli Pimlott produced a fantastic goal line clearance to keep the scores level.

Braidin Derbyshire then came on for George Brierley before two goals in four minutes ensured all three Professional Development League points would be staying in Lancashire.

U18S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 5-2 SHEFFIELD UNITED - Image 2

Abbas was first to strike, powering a Pimlott free-kick high into the net before Wetshi latched onto a McMahon-Brown knockdown to prod home his second and the team’s fourth.

The Blades went down to 10 men when Keehan Barrett-Underwood was dismissed for a kick-out on Pimlott, with the feisty nature of the day starting to boil over.

Michael Stanley replaced Carlin at right-back as the match headed towards it conclusion, but there was still time for Wetshi to complete his hat-trick in stoppage-time.

Finding himself with time and space, he picked out the bottom left corner from 20 yards to spark celebrations on and off the pitch.

Burnley U18s now have 54 points from 23 matches and remain eight points clear of their nearest challengers Sheffield Wednesday with eight games to play.

Burnley: Edwards, Carlin (Stanley 87), Pimlott, Leuluai, Adekoya, F. McMahon-Brown, Masara (Abbas 68), Brierley (Derbyshire 75), Wetshi, McCoy, Pouani

Unused Substitutes: Wilcock, So

Sheffield United: Grainger, Roberts, Paterson, Tawodzera, Hough, Makhalira (Bulmer 55), Abraha, Parr-Pearson, Coubrough (Barrett-Underwood 55), McLachlan, Blaize (Christie-Cranie 68)

Unused Substitutes: Kiwomya, Venners

Goals: McMahon-Brown 35’, Coubrough 37’, Wetshi 51’, 81’ 90+1’, Abbas 77’