U18s REPORT: BURNLEY 3 - 1 STOKE CITY

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Young Clarets defeat Potters at Gawthorpe to earn first league double of campaign

2022-02-26T15:00:00.000Z

U18s REPORT: BURNLEY 3 - 1 STOKE CITY

Young Clarets defeat Potters at Gawthorpe to earn first league double of campaign

2022-02-26T15:00:00.000Z

Young Clarets defeat Potters at Gawthorpe to earn first league double of campaign

Tony Philliskirk’s youth team beat Stoke City 3-1 at Gawthorpe in U18 Northern Premier League action to claim a first double of the season.

As he was back in November when Burnley won away against the same opposition, midfielder Joe Bauress was on the scoresheet at the training ground. He netted a brace this time around while Sean Etaluku came off the bench to seal victory late on.

Burnley started the brighter with Bauress dragging a shot just wide early on, but found themselves behind come the 15-mintue mark as Stoke’s Jack Griffiths headed home the opener at the front post.

It didn’t take long for the Clarets to level things up though, as just three minutes later youngster Bauress tried his luck from the halfway line and when Stoke goalkeeper Tommy Simkin misjudged the flight of the ball, Burnley grabbed an equaliser in spectacular form.

Striker George Walters then went close to handing Philliskirk’s side a half-time lead, but ‘keeper Simkin saved the forward’s header, so it remained level come the break.

Soon after the restart though, Burnley did hit the front foot with Bauress making no mistake from 12 yards out when referee Martyn Mitchell awarded the young Clarets a penalty following a late challenge inside the area.

Searching for a third of the afternoon to put the rubber stamp on victory, youth team boss Philliskirk sent on both Tremaine Eastmond & winger Etaluku from the bench.

Eastmond thought he had it as he volleyed home Rohan Vaughan’s cross 15 minutes from time, but the latter was ruled offside in a tight call and the goal disallowed.

Winger Etaluku – who has featured regularly for the U23s in recent weeks – also came close with a strike from the edge of the area which Simkin held onto.

And though the contest became a stop-start affair as players from both sides picked up cautions, Burnley’s third did come two minutes from time when a clinical move upfield was finished off by Etaluku.

Picking up the ball from Sam Waller’s goal kick, fellow substitute Eastmond drove forward at the heart of the Stoke defence and slipped in Etaluku who finished calmly one-on-one with Simkin.

Also on as a late change, frontman Joe Westley came close to adding a fourth in added time with a rasping volley, denied only by Simkin’s quickfire reaction stop.

3-1 it ended though with Burnley picking up three points at Gawthorpe in the league for the first time this season, the same scoreline and result as at Stoke’s Clayton Wood training ground back on Bonfire Night.

Philliskirk’s side return to action in the U18 NPL next Saturday – March 5 – when they host Newcastle United at the training ground.

As with all of the youth team’s fixtures this season, coverage of that game will be provided live on Twitter via @ClaretsAcademy.

Burnley: Waller, McCullough, Leckie, Sassi, Williams, Behan, Hugill, Bauress, Couch (Etaluku 79’), Vaughan (Westley 83’), Walters (Eastmond 66’)

Subs: Bryan, Olopade