U21 REPORT: WIGAN ATHLETIC 0-2 BURNLEY

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Experienced heads on show as Clarets defeat Latics at DW

2022-10-03T14:00:00.000Z

U21 REPORT: WIGAN ATHLETIC 0-2 BURNLEY

Experienced heads on show as Clarets defeat Latics at DW

2022-10-03T14:00:00.000Z

Experienced heads on show as Clarets defeat Latics at DW

Burnley’s U21 side ran out 2-0 winners away against Wigan Athletic in Professional Development League action, with both sides having senior players on show from the off.

The decisive touches both came in the second half, the first from Dara Costelloe just after the hour-mark added to by Benn Ward’s first ever goal for the Club late on.

It was a much changed Clarets side from the one which drew 0-0 away at Crewe Alexandra a week ago, with only four players retaining their position in the starting lineup.

First-teamers Denis Franchi, CJ Egan-Riley, Kevin Long & Luke McNally all came in alongside Costelloe, Ne-Jai Tucker and summer signing Seb Thompson, who started for the first time.

U21 REPORT: WIGAN ATHLETIC 0-2 BURNLEY - Image 1

Wigan meanwhile also named four of their own first-teamers - Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Tom Pearce, Jordan Cousins & Gwion Edwards - in the XI at the DW Stadium.

U21s captain Kieran Lloyd, Charlie Hughes, Babe Adeeko and Chris Sze – who played six times for the first-team last season – also returned for the Latics.

First Half

Both sides started brightly, and both had chances within the opening nine minutes. Cousins first drove forward to take aim for the hosts and saw his effort go wide of Franchi’s far post before Costelloe came close at the other end but had his strike held by Wigan ‘goalkeeper Owen Mooney.

Soon after, Costelloe was again denied, this time by the head of a defender to clear his scuffed shot on the volley.

Burnley continued to press and had captain Mark Helm teed up by Owen Dodgson to take aim from the edge of the box, but the midfielder couldn’t put his attempt on target.

Both Tucker & Marcel Lewis then tried their luck with free-kicks in dangerous areas after two late challenges in the final third, but the first found the side netting and the second hit the wall.

Defender moves to St Andrews in permanent switch

At the other end, Franchi had to hold on to a looping header from Sze on 35 minutes, that came after Egan-Riley had headed clear an initial cross into the six-yard box.

And the last action of the opening 45 minutes also involved shot stopper Franchi. He had to scramble across his line and make a superb reaction save to keep out Edwards’ header from a corner which had been awarded in error by referee Shaun Taylor.

Second Half

The first chance at the restart came 10 minutes in, and it fell to Burnley with Thompson firing narrowly wide after a defensive error from the hosts had allowed him to surge forward in space.

Soon after, Dodgson sent a strike whistling inches over the bar from 20 yards out, before the opener eventually came through frontman Costelloe on 61 minutes.

Slipped in behind by Tucker, Costelloe marked his return from international duty with a trademark clinical finish one-on-one with Mooney.

Wigan came close to an equaliser seven minutes later as Pearce’s whipped free-kick from the right wing evaded everybody inside the box and bounced onto the far post, but the Clarets managed to scramble the rebound away from danger.

Centre back Ward was introduced from the bench not long after that, alongside Michael Mellon, and he doubled the advantage with six minutes remaining at a corner.

Tucker swung the ball in from the right, and when Mooney misjudged the flight of it, Ward was there at the back post to head home under pressure from two Latics defenders.

Five minutes were added on at the end of the 90, but Burnley saw the game out with little danger to their goal, Franchi earning himself a clean sheet.

The U21s are back in action next Monday – October 15 – hosting Birmingham City at the County Ground in Leyland (14:00 KO). Entry for all supporters is free.

Burnley: Franchi, Egan-Riley, Long (Ward ’70), McNally, Dodgson, Bauress, Tucker, Helm ©, Lewis, Costelloe (Trialist ‘90+1), Thompson (Mellon ’70)

Unused Subs: Thomas, Hugill

Wigan: Mooney, Lloyd ©, Pearce, Edmonds-Green, Hughes, Cousins, Edwards (Dwyer ’90), Adeeko, Stones, Sze (Sharif ’64), Brennan (Adams ‘79)

Unused Subs: Watson, Mitchell

Goals: Costelloe, ’61, Ward, ‘84