U21S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 4-0 HULL CITY

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

Young Clarets finish 2024 in style

2024-12-17T23:06:22.510Z

U21S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 4-0 HULL CITY

Young Clarets finish 2024 in style

2024-12-17T23:06:22.510Z

Young Clarets finish 2024 in style

Third beat second on Tuesday evening as Burnley U21s put four past Hull City to earn three valuable Professional Development League points.

First-half strikes from Joe Westley and Michael Mellon were followed up by Joe Bauress and Brandon Ly in a match that saw Owen Dodgson and Hannes Delcroix get more valuable minutes under their belts.

There were three changes to the side that beat Blackpool in the Lancashire FA Senior Cup last week, with Alex Healy-Byrne replacing Hamzat Balogun at right-back.

A tweak in formation saw Joe Ashton step into a midfield three, with Mellon starting alongside Westley in a front two.

The action started slowly at a windy Grant Store Victory Park Stadium in Chorley, with the first 10 minutes’ only action of note seeing Hull’s Zane Myers cut in from the right and shoot narrowly wide.

With much of the play taking place in the middle of the pitch, Mellon got a sighter at goal from Bauress’ perfectly weighted through ball but pulled his half-volley off target.

U21S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 4-0 HULL CITY - Image 1

Two goals in an impressive four-minute spell saw the Clarets take control of the match, with the first coming from Westley in the 33rd minute.

After Charlie Veevers' shot from the edge was palmed away by Hull 'keeper Callum Yam, the striker pounced on the loose ball to slide home his 15th goal of the season.

Mellon was next to strike, picking out the bottom left corner with a free-kick through Hull’s defensive wall from 25 yards.

The rest of the first half passed without incident and Andy Farrell made a change at the interval, with Westley making way for Kamarni Ryan.

It didn’t take long for Ryan to have an impact as his strong hold up play allowed Lewis Richardson to slide through Bauress two minutes into the second period.

The midfielder, who was wearing the captain’s armband for the evening, made no mistake when one-on-one to score his fifth goal of the campaign.

U21S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 4-0 HULL CITY - Image 2

Burnley’s pressure continued to build as a Bauress delivery narrowly evaded Delcroix and Dodgson swung a corner kick onto the roof of the net.

Farrell’s second and third changes saw João Mendes replace Mellon and Ashton make way for Ly, and the latter scored with his first touch to put the cherry on top of a comfortable evening.

Ryan did well to play a dropping ball across to the midfielder first time, and Ly had the simple task of netting from close range.

Balogun later came on for Veevers but the Clarets weren’t relenting and came close to a fifth with five minutes to play, but Richardson’s effort cannoned off a post and away.

After 15 matches Farrell’s team’s 29 points leaves them 3rd in the North section table, one point behind Hull and four adrift of leaders Sheffield United.

The young Clarets have a chance to close the gap to the Blades when they visit the County Ground in Leyland on Tuesday 7th January, with kick-off at 7pm.

Burnley: Vilar Robinson, Healy-Byrne, Pye, Dodgson, Delcroix, Bauress, Veevers (Balogun 78), Ashton (Ly 72), Mellon (Mendes 59), Westley (Ryan 46), Richardson

Unused Substitutes: Forshaw

Hull City: Yam, Leckie, Wadsworth, Coyle, Iggulden, Ashbee, Vaughan, Shehu, Chibanga (Dawson 71), Myers, Brown (Leake 56)

Unused Substitutes: Fanning, Callister, Harriman-Annous

Goals: Westley 33’, Mellon 37’, Bauress 47’, Ly 72’