U21 PL CUP REPORT: BURNLEY 3-1 STOKE CITY

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

Clarets pick up first three points of Premier League Cup campaign to keep progression hopes alive

2022-11-28T21:59:07.070Z

U21 PL CUP REPORT: BURNLEY 3-1 STOKE CITY

Clarets pick up first three points of Premier League Cup campaign to keep progression hopes alive

2022-11-28T21:59:07.070Z

U21 PREVIEW: BURNLEY V SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY - Image 1

Burnley’s U21 side picked up a first group stage victory in the Premier League Cup this season, beating Premier League 2 outfit Stoke City 3-1 at the County Ground in Leyland.

Mike Mellon’s first half strike had the Clarets ahead at the break, before goals from Joe McGlynn and substitute Joe Westley settled things in the Group G contest, either side of one from Ben Kershaw for the Potters.

Seven changes were made to Burnley’s side from last week’s 5-2 defeat at Swansea City in the same competition.

Amongst those to come in were Dane McCullough, returning from injury, and McGlynn whose youth loan with Hyde United came to an end last week. Renaldo Torraj was also back having missed the last two club games on international duty with Albania’s U21s.

First Half

On a cold evening, the Clarets came out firing and almost went ahead seven minutes in when Ne-Jai Tucker’s cross-cum-shot dropped inches wide of the far post.

U21 PL CUP REPORT: BURNLEY 3-1 STOKE CITY - Image 1

Liam McCarron then fizzed an effort over the bar from the edge of the box for the visitors, and Denis Franchi pulled off a good save to deny Tom Sparrow from a similar range.

The opener came on 21 minutes via Mellon, and in some style. A corner was swung into the box and bounced about until the forward tried his luck with an overhead kick which looped to nestle in the back of the net past a helpless Tommy Simkin in the Stoke goal.

Franchi saved from Sparrow oncemore while Seb Thompson sent a strike inches wide for Burnley. Further chances followed at both ends, for Tucker and then the Potters’ Will Smith, but it remained 1-0 come the break.

CLARETS CALENDAR: YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEK AHEAD - Image 2

Second Half

Starting strong again at the restart, the Clarets doubled their lead on 49 minutes with Scottish youth international McGlynn smashing past Simkin from close range having been fed through on goal by strike partner Mellon.

The visitors, managed by ex-Burnley man Kevin Russell, built pressure in the minutes that followed, forcing Franchi into punching clear a corner delivery under his crossbar as well as seeing Emre Tezgel take aim but fire wide.

They would halve the deficit with 15 minutes remaining through substitute Kershaw, who slotted past Franchi from inside the six-yard box, but it would be the Clarets own replacement who put the contest to bed as the clock hit 90.

U21 PL CUP REPORT: BURNLEY 3-1 STOKE CITY - Image 3

17-year-old Westley replaced Mellon 10 minutes prior, and when fellow substitute Kade Ratchford beat his marker to square to him, the frontman made no mistake in firing into the roof of the net past Simkin.

With four points from four games, Burnley now sit 2nd in Group G and as things stand would progress into the knockout stages. They have two games left to play, with the next a trip to Arsenal on 9th December (7pm KO).

Burnley: Franchi, Healy-Byrne, Turner, McCullough (James ’61), Thompson (Ratchford ’61), Trialist (Deane ’61), Helm ©, Torraj, Tucker, Mellon (Westley ’80), McGlynn

Unused Sub: Thomas

Stoke: Simkin, Reddin, McCarron, Adebambo, Baker ©, Roney (Grogan HT), Malone, Smith (Kershaw ’54), Tezgel, Sparrow, Lowe

Unused Subs: Jackson, Curl, McGuinness

Goals: Mellon, ’21, McGlynn, ’49, Kershaw, ’75, Westley, ‘90