Our U19s lose in the EFL Youth Alliance League on the road to Mansfield Town

- Mansfield Town 4-2 Huddersfield Town U19s
- Hazeem Bakre and Hakeem Sandah score
- U19s back at home on Wednesday 26 April

On Saturday, our U19s were defeated by Mansfield Town in the EFL Youth Alliance League despite goals from Hazeem Bakre and Hakeem Sandah to keep us in the game.

Town’s U19s were defeated 4-2 away at Mansfield Town on Saturday 22 April in the EFL Youth Alliance League, despite showing an unwavering effort to keep themselves in the game as Hazeem Bakre equalised just after half-time and Hakeem Sandah scored to make it 3-2 in a thrilling five minutes which saw three goals scored.

Both Town and Mansfield Town showed their desire from kick-off, having plenty of chances for either side to take the lead, but it was the hosts who took the lead at the half hour mark after a goal from Che Whitman-Brown in his first start at this level for the Stags. The lead up to the goal saw a through ball played well by Ronnie Kokkinos for Whitman-Brown, who then took the ball round Francis Hurl and found the bottom far corner of the net.

An undeterred young Town side immediately fought for their equaliser as Bakre’s shot from the centre of the box was blocked by the feet of Theo Avery in the net before half time. The striker, however, found his equaliser in the 48th minute for Town after Cian Philpott was strong enough to not be pulled down at the halfway line and sent a through ball for Bakre to fire into the top corner.

The young Stags took the lead again in the 56th minute after Taylor Anderson’s corner was met by defender Tyler Whyle who leaped high at the back post and headed the ball across the face of goal and into the top corner.

Mansfield then made it 3-1 in the 75th minute at the start of an intense five minutes which saw three goals. McKeal Abdullah scored the third for the Stags after the ball was deflected to his feet and his strike bounced before it found the back of the net, with Hurl unable to reach for the save.

However, Sandah scored immediately after this third goal was conceded and made the scoreline 3-2, keeping Town in the game with 14 minutes to go. The forward fired the ball across goal and into the bottom corner from a narrow angle from the side of the box after he was sent the ball by Dan Vost.

Our hosts scored the final goal of the game in the 80th minute to secure the three points in the EFL Youth Alliance League after Abdullah stole the ball back from substitute Temi Okuwa in Mansfield’s attacking half before he carried the ball into the box by the post, he cut back to Kokkinos, and he scored his second of the game from close range.

Back in action on Wednesday 26 April, our U19s host Rotherham United at the Millers Oils High Performance Complex in an 11am kick-off.

Town’s Team (4-2-3-1)
Francis Hurl; Fope Deru (c), Freddie Fletcher, Archie Sheppard, Shane Maroodza (Ajay Weston, 15’); Dan Vost, Sonny Whittingham (Temi Okuwa, 46’); Aaron Ojungu (Tyree Sanusi, 65’), Cian Philpott, Charles Ondo (Hakeem Sandah, 46’); Hazeem Bakre

Goal Scorers
Hazeem Bakre (48’), Hakeem Sandah (76’)