U18s REPORT: DERBY COUNTY 1-2 BURNLEY

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

Report from our U18s last game of the season

2022-05-09T08:04:03.909Z

U18s REPORT: DERBY COUNTY 1-2 BURNLEY

Report from our U18s last game of the season

2022-05-09T08:04:03.909Z

Report from our U18s last game of the season

Tony Philliskirk’s youth team capped off a positive season in the U18 Northern Premier League with a 2-1 win away from home against Derby County on Saturday afternoon (May 7).

Trailing at the interval in their final game of the season, striker Joe Westley grabbed a quickfire brace midway through the second half to seal three points on the final day.

Having come off the bench to score against league winners Manchester City in Tuesday’s narrow 3-2 defeat, Westley took his place in the starting lineup at Derby’s Moor Farm Training centre.

Lucas Wane also started with Trevon Bryan and Rohan Vaughan dropping to the bench, while George Walters missed out on a place in the squad.

First Half

Following a quiet start to the contest in the Midlands, Westley came close to the opener on 19 minutes, just being beaten to the ball by a Rams defender as he looked to turn Tosin Olopade’s cross home.

It was to be the hosts who would get the first goal of the contest on 24 minutes though, Harry Hawkins taking aim from range and finding the back of the net after Burnley had headed clear a free-kick into the area.

Wane almost levelled things up four minutes later with a poke at goal having chased down a ball into the box, while a Trialist also sent a header over the bar for Philliskirk’s side.

The Trialist then brought a save out of Derby goalkeeper Jack Thompson, though the hosts remained a goal up at the break.

Second Half

Just two minutes after the restart, the Trialist again took aim from the edge of the box though saw another effort saved by Thompson.

Joe Bauress then saw a corner evade everyone as it flashed right across the face of goal before Burnley’s dominance eventually paid off with the equaliser on 58 minutes.

Defender Olopade surged forward from his own half, seeing off numerous challenges from the hosts in the process and making his way into the area before striking goalward.

His shot was blocked into the path of Westley who dispatched with a calm finish into the top corner of the net for his first of the game.

Westley’s second – the eventual match winner - was just four minutes later and came after some pressure high up the pitch forced ‘keeper Thompson into an error. With the ball kicked into his path, striker Westley made no mistake hammering home.

Kade Ratchford also had an opportunity for a third just two minutes later, though couldn’t guide his effort on target having met Wane’s low cross.

The young Clarets saw the game out well, even with seven minutes of additional time played, seeing County’s Ola Ibrahim hit the woodwork with the last kick of the season from a free-kick.

Another three points in the bag, Philliskirk’s side ended the season with a run of just one defeat in their last six, winning four of those matches.

There are other games still to be played in the U18 Northern Premier League, so Burnley’s position could still end higher, but at least an 8th-place finish has been guaranteed.

Burnley: Casper, Olopade, Ward, James, McCullough (C), Bauress, Hugill, Trialist, Wane (Bryan ’78), Westley (Vaughan ’74), Ratchford (Behan ’71)

Unused Sub: Moss

Derby: Thompson (GK), Brailsford (C), Kelly, Hawkins, Rutt, Robinson, Davidson, Fapetu, Trialist, Ibrahim, Nicholas-Davies

Subs: Moore, Price, Aideyan, Sebagabo, Trialist

Goals: Hawkins, ’24, Westley, ’58 & ‘62