U21 PL CUP REPORT: SWANSEA CITY 5-2 BURNLEY

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Clarets defeated in South Wales as Swans complete second half comeback

2022-11-21T19:06:26.421Z

U21 PL CUP REPORT: SWANSEA CITY 5-2 BURNLEY

Clarets defeated in South Wales as Swans complete second half comeback

2022-11-21T19:06:26.421Z

Clarets defeated in South Wales as Swans complete second half comeback

Burnley’s U21 side fell to defeat away from home in Premier League Cup group stage action, losing 5-2 to Swansea City at their Landore Training Ground.

A brace from Mike Mellon had the Clarets ahead at the break, but five unanswered second half goals from the hosts saw them take all three points.

Three changes were made to the Burnley side that won 3-0 against Barnsley at Turf Moor last Monday – 14th November – in the last Professional Development League game of the calendar year.

Kade Ratchford came in from the start, following a substitute appearance in that victory against the Tykes, while U18s Brad Grant & Joe Westley were also named in the starting 11.

Owen Dodgson, Ne-Jai Tucker and Dara Costelloe were the ones to drop out with the youth team trio of Jon Ander Vilar Robinson, Wiktor Gromek & Jack Rogers earned places on the bench in South Wales.

First Half

The Swans started the better, seeing successive chances fall to midfielders Cameron Congreve and Ben Lloyd. Both found themselves in space on the edge of the area, but dragged efforts wide of the target.

U21s TO HOST SWANSEA AT TURF MOOR ON MONDAY - Image 1

Despite that early pressure, it would be the Clarets who struck first when striker Mellon latched onto Jack Turner’s long ball forward, taking the ball down and away from his marker before hammering an effort through Swansea keeper Ben Hughes’ legs to give Burnley the lead.

Marcel Lewis was influential throughout the first half and a series of corners taken by him saw the Clarets build pressure which resulted in centre back Turner heading over.

In what was inches away from being a carbon copy of Burnley’s first, Mellon almost made it two, taking down another long forward pass and looking towards the near post once more, but Hughes was on hand to deny him with his feet this time around.

Lewis also tried an audacious chip from 25 yards out, but Hughes was wise to it and tipped over, before Mellon eventually made it 2-0 to the Clarets on the brink of the half-time whistle.

U21 PREVIEW: BARNSLEY V BURNLEY - Image 2

Westley battled his way down the left, holding off challenges from numerous defenders, to loop a cross to the back post where his forward partner was waiting to tap into an empty net.

Second Half

Both Westley and Mellon had early second half chances which came and went, but the deficit was halved on 52 minutes through Lloyd who found space to fire home from full back Lincoln McFayden’s pass.

And it wasn’t long before Swansea’s pressure told with an equaliser as a through ball from Azeem Abdulai found McFayden, who made no mistake in slotting past Lewis Thomas.

The Welsh side’s resurgence continued, and the turnaround was complete on 69 minutes as some quick passing saw the ball fall at the feet of substitute Tarrelle Whittaker who played in Lloyd to net the third.

U21 PREVIEW: HULL CITY V BURNLEY - Image 1

A fourth would follow soon after through the impressive Congreve who bent an effort into the bottom corner, while Joe Thomas rose highest in time added on at the end of the game to put the rubber stamp on a 5-2 win for the hosts.

The result leaves the Clarets bottom of Group G in the Premier League Cup with one point from three games. They now return to action at the County Ground in Leyland next Monday – 28th November – against Stoke City in the same competition (7pm KO).

Swansea City: Hughes, Ludvigsen, Jenkins, Abdulai (Leverett ’85), Jones, Thomas, Congreve, Cotterill ©, Morgan (Whittaker ‘60), Lloyd (Hurford ’90), McFayden

Unused Subs: Griffiths, Faakye

Burnley: Thomas, Hugill (Healy-Byrne ’46), Turner, Grant, Thompson (Rogers ’79), Bauress, Helm ©, Ratchford (Deane ’59), Lewis, Mellon, Westley (Gromek ’84)

Unused Sub: Vilar Robinson

Goals: Mellon, ’23 & ’42, Lloyd, ’52 & ‘69, McFayden, ’57, Congreve, ’73, Thomas, ‘90+2