Young Terriers in stalemate with Polish opposition
- Huddersfield Town Under-19s play Miedź Legnica in Poland
- Game ends 1-1 thanks to equaliser from Jaden Brown
- Whitehead’s team will now return to England
Huddersfield Town’s Under-19 side drew with the Under-23s from Polish top-flight club Miedź Legnica to cap off their short spell in the country on Wednesday afternoon.
Legnica stepped in when countrymen Śląsk Wrocław unfortunately cancelled the previously arranged match against the Young Terriers and gave Dean Whitehead’s side a tough game at the Opalenica training base.
Full back Jaden Brown was the scorer for Town, netting a first-half equaliser after an early concession, in a game where the Under-19s showed good spirit and determination when not at their best in possession.
Things started brightly for Town, with winger Aaron Rowe winning a free-kick 25 yards out after some nice forward play. Right back Demeaco Duhaney stepped up and hit a great effort goalwards, with the ball flying just wide.
Legnica responded, catching Town trying to play out from the back and winning a seventh minute corner. The Polish players were soon crying out for a penalty, claiming the delivery struck a Town hand, but the referee waved the claims away.
Rowe and Brown soon had shots blocked from promising positions as the Terriers continued to go forward, but the team was soon hit with a sucker-punch as Legnica took the lead in the 16th minute; the left winger cutting infield and curling a great effort into the top corner.
Whitehead’s youngsters responded well, with midfielder Matty Daly an increasingly influential figure in the centre of the park. At the same time, left back Brown started to cause the Polish team problems.
Having sent a cross in that nobody could finish off minutes earlier, Jaden took matters into his own hands in the 32nd minute to net a great equaliser. Picking up the ball just infield from the left side, he drove past two players and slotted the ball into the bottom left corner with his right foot in classy style.
Town’s Australian ‘keeper Jacob Chapman pulled off a good save with just under 10 minutes of the half remaining to keep the scores level, denying a midfielder after a good switch of play created room for the effort.
Whitehead introduced some of the travelling Under-17s in the second 45 minutes, with the likes of Sam Sharrock-Peplow, Nassim Kherbouche and Andrew Ijiwole coming on for valuable experience.
In return, the opponents started well and should have retaken the lead in the opening minutes. A striker missed a sitter from a right-sided cross inside 120 seconds and another shot was placed just off target moments later.
Town responded well and created a good chance inside seven minutes that was inches away from being a second goal. Daly found Duhaney on the right and his shot, unleashed after he’d beaten his defender, had to be cleared off the line by a player.
Duhaney soon sent a superb cross flashing across the face of goal without anyone getting a touch, but by this stage the Young Terriers had become sloppy on the ball.
There were a few highlights still, such as the run and shot from striker Micah Obiero that saw the ball flash just wide in the 65th minute and some of Scott High’s industry off-the-ball.
Chapman was also impressive, saving a point-blank shot to concede a corner with 10 minutes left. In truth the Polish side should have scored as chaos reigned from the set-piece, but the forward hit the crossbar when it was easier to score.
Town’s team (4-3-3)
Jacob Chapman; Jaden Brown, Mustapha Olagunju (Nassim Kherbouche, 60’), Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Demeaco Duhaney; Scott High (c), Josh Austerfield (Sam Sharrock-Peplow, 46’), Matty Daly; Jaheim Headley (Kit Elliott, 21’ (Andrew Ijiwole, 60’)), Micah Obiero, Aaron Rowe
Unused substitutes
Giosue Bellagambi; Tom Bamford, Taylor Annakin