U21s SEASON REVIEW: PART ONE

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The story of how the 2022/23 season unfolded for the U21s month by month…

2023-05-19T11:30:00.000Z

U21s SEASON REVIEW: PART ONE

The story of how the 2022/23 season unfolded for the U21s month by month…

2023-05-19T11:30:00.000Z

The story of how the 2022/23 season unfolded for the U21s month by month…

JULY

As first-team boss Vincent Kompany bedded into life as a Claret, many of the U21s were involved in his pre-season plans, first featuring in behind closed door run-outs against Rochdale & Wolves before playing in front of fans for the first time in the campaign away against Shrewsbury Town.

Both Bobby Thomas & Ne-Jai Tucker were on target against the Shrews, and both of those – alongside numerous other youngsters – then travelled with Kompany and his squad to Lisbon for a week-long training camp.

And come opening night in the Sky Bet Championship away at Huddersfield Town, there was a starting spot for Irishman Dara Costelloe along with places on the bench for academy products Adam Phillips & Owen Dodgson.

Versatile attacker Seb Thompson, who joined the U21s a few weeks prior having departed Derby County, also made the trip over the Pennines with the senior squad.

As one player entered, one did depart though with Max Thompson linking up with Sunderland for an undisclosed fee.

Before the month was out, the U21s would play out a 1-1 draw with Vanarama National League North outfit AFC Telford United in a friendly of their own.

AUGUST

August began with another friendly run out for the U21s, this one against a strong Blackpool XI and ending in a 4-1 defeat.

Opportunities continued to come in the senior setup, and the U21s eventually kicked off their season in the Professional Development League with a home game against Charlton Athletic at the County Ground in Leyland on 8th August.

Beaten 2-1 by the Addicks, neither Jake Rooney nor Jacob Bedeau were involved. The pair would sign for Derby County and Morecambe respectively in Sky Bet League One over the coming days.

A tough few weeks would await the Clarets results wise with further losses at Reading and at home to Queens Park Rangers following, though Republic of Ireland youth international Frankie Deane joined prior to the game against the Royals, coming off the bench to make a first appearance in Claret & Blue.

Three points would then be put on the board on the last day of the month though, a valuable victory earned down in the Welsh capital against Cardiff City with Mark Helm & Lewis Richardson on target in a comeback success.

SEPTEMBER

Starting on a high, 1st September was transfer deadline day, and it brought with it two new signings for the U21s.

While midfielder Phillips departed for Morecambe, Irish full-back Alex Healy-Byrne made the move to Burnley from Cork City, and tricky Belgian winger Marcel Lewis joined from Royale Union Saint-Gilloise over in Belgium.

Striker Richardson also joined Grimsby Town on loan, with centre back Thomas heading out for the season to Joey Barton’s Bristol Rovers.

Pacy attacker Lewis went straight into the side a few days later as the Clarets made it back-to-back wins with a thrilling 4-3 triumph over Ipswich Town, and he was joined in the starting 11 by Healy-Byrne the following week as two became three courtesy of a thumping 4-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday.

Experienced heads were on show in Leyland as the Premier League Cup campaign began, though the opening fixture in the competition saw Burnley fall to a narrow 3-1 defeat to Premier League 2 outfit Arsenal.

Loans were to be the order of service across the non-league pyramid for the U21s throughout the campaign, and September proved a busy month on that front with four separate deals agreed including Finn Armstrong to FC United of Manchester.

In match action, another point was though picked up on the road from a goalless draw at Crewe Alexandra, with the month ending as it had started, with a signing.

Towering centre back Jack Turner became a Claret on 29th September having appeared as a trialist against the Alex, signing following a successful spell at Barking FC.

OCTOBER

Goalkeeper Sam Waller was the next to head out on loan, with his deal at Lancaster City eventually running until the end of the campaign.

A few days before he’d departed for the Dolly Blues, the shot stopper watched on from the sidelines as Burnley took all three points at the DW Stadium against Wigan Athletic with Costelloe on target, the start of a rich vein of scoring form.

Playing a league game at the Burnley Training Centre for the first time in the campaign, a 2-2 draw against Birmingham City would be next up when Turkish striker Halil Dervişoğlu netted from the penalty spot.

And when a trip down to Coventry came around, it was Costelloe at the forefront oncemore, netting an impressive hat-trick in a 3-1 victory against a Sky Blues side which included club captain Liam Kelly.

Sheffield United proved the runaway winners of the Northern Section in the Professional Development League, and they’d inflict a narrow 3-2 defeat on Burnley at the County Ground on a damp day, while seven days later a heavy 6-0 loss came to a highly experienced Hull City side.

The positive of the day against the Tigers came prior to kick-off when the signing of Albanian youth international Renaldo Torraj was announced. It definitely was not a happy Halloween for the U21s however.

Sandwiched between those two defeats was a 1-1 draw at Stoke City in the second Premier League Cup group stage game which saw the Clarets pegged back by a 94th minute leveller.

NOVEMBER

With the more experienced members of Burnley’s squad out on loan, and injuries taking their toll, a youthful side was fielded away at Peterborough United in the first U21s game of November.

The Posh earned three points with a 4-1 win, though that same evening back up in East Lancashire provided an unforgettable moment for everyone connected with the academy as both Lewis & Joe Bauress made their senior debuts.

Entering the action in the closing stages of a Carabao Cup win against Crawley Town, Bauress became the Club’s youngest player this century, still only 16 at the time.

A few days later, the pair were back on the Turf Moor pitch, this time for the U21s. Another victory was to come as the Clarets put an end to a winless run courtesy of a 3-0 scoreline. Michael Mellon and Dodgson were both on target against the Tykes along with a Trialist.

And though the next game would bring a 5-2 defeat to Swansea City in the Premier League Cup, Burnley would get their first victory in that competition over the line to end November when Stoke made the trip to Leyland.

McGlynn, returning from a loan spell at Hyde United, netted in a 3-1 victory against the Potters, keeping the Clarets’ qualification hopes alive.

DECEMBER

While there was a break at senior level for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the U21s were set to round off their six group games in the Premier League Cup throughout December.

Inclement weather swept the nation though, and both a trip to Arsenal and Swansea’s visit to Lancashire were postponed due to either a frozen or waterlogged pitch.

Accordingly, there was no action for the U21s in the last month of the calendar year, though that didn’t stop an early Christmas gift arriving on 23rd December.

Having appeared as a Trialist in the win against Stoke, and had a successful trial in the weeks after that, midfielder Jez Davies formally joined the Club on 23rd December. He would go on to make 16 appearances in the second half of the campaign.

The second part of this season review will be published tomorrow.

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