Another high scoring affair for our U18 in the rain at Landore today, sharing the spoils 4-4 with Bristol City in the Professional Development League Cup.
We operated 4-4-2: Sam Seager; Billy Clarke, Osian Williams, Brogan Popham, Callum Deacon (captain) (Kiel Higginson 87m); Aidan Higgins, Jacob Cook, Ramon Rees-Siso (s – Kai Rhodes 45m), Josh Pescatore (Milo Robinson 87m), Thomas Woodward (s – Harvey Gray 95m), Morgan Bates.
Unused sub: Isaac Dudding.
Trialist Morgan Bates is Mitchell’s brother, a Swansea boy who’s come through the Briton Ferry Llansawel academy. Today, he played up front alongside Thomas Woodward and made an energetic and effective impact. He’s got a presence – strength, competitive in the air and hard running on the ground. He linked up well with Tom Woodward.
We took a deserved 2-0 first half lead – Woodward getting the first with typical bustling play into the area to get a shot away, Bates getting the 2nd by being on the end of a great move started by Ramon Rees-Siso and carried on by Aidan Higgins.
Bristol had offered little in the first half and it looked as though we would cruise to a comfortable win.
As is so often the case at this level, the complexion of the contest changed dramatically in the 2nd half. The Robins pulled back 2 goals from some sloppy defending on our part, including losing the ball deep in the visitors’ half and allowing Bristol to get back level quickly. Goals continued to flow – Woodward getting his hat-trick with Walker pulling the visitors further level in between. Woodward’s 3rd was a powerful header from a fantastic cross by sub Kai Rhodes, set free by Callum Deacon. Jackson got Bristol’s 4th with 5 minutes to go, chances continued to come for both sides right into added time, with some very tired legs on the park.
Harvey Gray hooked a final shot wide with the last kick of the match. Stirring stuff at Landore today, the boys did well to keep in a contest they appeared to have lost control of.
Goalscoring: Woodward 1-0 (5m); Bates 2-0 (20m); Popham og 2-1 (54m); Fikler 2-2 (60m); Woodward 3-2 (66m); Walker 3-3 (69m); Woodward 4-3 (74m); Jackson 4-4 (85m).