An open and entertaining final friendly for the Under 23 at Landore today, resulting in a 7-2 win.
AG Academy is a London-based team designed to give second chances to players who haven’t succeeded at other clubs.
Unusually for a friendly, a welcome teamsheet was available today. At 9 for us was the trialist centre forward who played against Bath on Tuesday. The trialist listed at 11 was in fact Dylan Morgan (I was led to believe he has in fact signed for the club?). In addition to the named substitutes, Filip Lissah also warmed up and got on the pitch in the 2nd half.
It was a terrific difference from Tuesday – but of course there’s a vast difference between AG Academy and Bath City. Today’s visitors included a number of talented players, but they didn’t really appear to be a collective. The game was very open, with frequent chances at both ends. Today definitely gave our players opportunities to spread their wings and produce some really attractive football. The goals will have helped as well. In truth, it could easily have been double figures. Having said that, Kris O’Leary was quite vocal about the breaches that the visitors exploited to create numerous chances of their own.
After a fairly even 20 minutes, the Swan went 2 nil up with quickfire goals from Tarrelle Whitaker and the centre forward trialist (known to team mates as ‘Jay’). Ben Erickson had 2 headers cleared off the line in quick succession before the half ended with the Swans 2-0 up.
5 goals followed in a frenzied 16 minutes after half-time, with the Swans commanding a 6-1 lead. Whittaker’s second of the afternoon was particularly sharp play, a quick twist past a defender on the right and a curling finish from the edge of the box.
It was good to see Cian Williams come on, at left back, and have a hand with fellow sub Campbell in lining up the trialist centre forward for his hat trick 3 minutes from time. He had a much more productive outing today, image enclosed.
Swans keeper Jamie Searle is big – 6′ 6″ – and was kept busy making a number of saves throughout. Strangely, the 2 AG Academy goals came from uncontested headers from corners, but Searle had little chance with these. One of the AG players cheekily tried to catch him out of his area with a shot from inside his own half, but fortunately Searle managed to backtrack and claw the ball away from goal.
A good workout for our youngsters. The interplay across our team – including the new boys – was refreshing to see. Sure, we weren’t playing Bath City, but the players will have taken heart from the exercise.
Swans team: Searle; H Jones (sub Lippah 82m), Butler, Erickson (sub Margetson 70m), J Jones (sub C Williams 82m); Leverett, Lloyd (sub Akende 70m), Cotterill; Whittaker (sub Campbell 70m), Trialist Jay ____, Morgan (sub Josh Edwards 90m). Unused subs: G Bony, T Evans.
Goals and approximate times:
Whittaker 1-0 22m; CF trialist 2-0 25m; Busari 2-1 48m; Morgan 3-1 50m; Butler 4-1 53m; CF trialist 5-1 57m; Whittaker 6-1 61m; 6-2 Busari 70m; CF trialist 7-2 87m.