Impressive performance from the Young Terriers
- Huddersfield Town Under-19s defeat Sheffield Wednesday
- Dean Whitehead’s side dominate and were worth more than 1-0 win
- Trialist Craig Fasanmade the goal-scorer for the Young Terriers
Huddersfield Town’s Under-19 side was impressive in recording a 1-0 victory over visitors Sheffield Wednesday at PPG Canalside on Friday afternoon.
A strong Young Terriers line-up dominated most of the game against the Owls and the only criticism that coach Dean Whitehead could level at his players is that they didn’t score more goals.
Senior Academy players like Demeaco Duhaney, Aaron Rowe and Jaden Brown all featured alongside several trialists, with midfielders Abdul Sankoh and Craig Fasanmade starting.
It was Fasanmade, who plays for Oxford City, who netted the only goal of the game in the first-half. He was trying his luck as early as the eighth minute when he forced the impressive Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper into a smart stop, having cut in from his position wide on the right.
Full-backs Duhaney and Brown often underlapped their wingers to get into shooting position and DD was unlucky not to score in the 11th minute. The goalkeeper came to the rescue again and impressively sprang back to his feet to also keep out the rebound from Sankoh, the Dutch attacking midfielder.
It took a great defensive block to keep out an effort from the tricky Rowe in the 18th minute after striker Obiero had cut the ball back from the left side, and midfielder talisman Scott High soon set Sankoh clear with a superb curling pass that led to yet another save.
The Young Terriers weren’t to be denied, however, and took the lead in the 23rd minute. Rowe received the ball wide on the left and cut inside before shifting the ball right to Fasanmade, who stepped onto his favoured right foot before slamming a low drive under the goalkeeper from 20 yards.
High and Sankoh fired further efforts off target from decent positions as the first-half ended, but the interval did not stem the flow for the Owls. Rowe soon slipped a clever reverse pass into the box to find Brown’s run and the goalkeeper came to the rescue once again, coming smartly off his line to smother the full-back’s shot at source.
Fasanmade shot wide on his left soon after, before Wednesday had one of two real chances to equalise; the number eight clipping the ball over advancing goalkeeper Jacob Chapman but missing the target after some nice passing.
The second effort followed with 20 minutes left and drew a good stop from the Australian, Chapman, who sprang to his left to push the ball away strongly.
Otherwise, the centre-half pairing of Harry Spratt and the impressive 17-year-old Mustapha Olagunju held firm and it was Town who should have extended the margin as the game ended.
Town’s press soon caught Wednesday playing out from the back and gave Rowe the chance to show his ability. He shifted the ball very quickly onto his left to make space for the shot inside the area, but the effort flew just wide.
Brown subsequently hit a right-footed effort too close to the goalkeeper and then substitute Jaheim Headley found Obiero inside the area with a pass, with the striker scooping his shot over the crossbar.
Headley probably had the biggest chance to double the advantage with just over 10 minutes remaining. Rowe won the ball high up the pitch and squared it to the winger, but he was leaning back as he pulled the trigger and sent the ball rocketing into the sky.
With trialists Joel Senior and Josef Hefele, younger brother of Michael, on the pitch in the dying moments, Duhaney slipped at the vital moment when shooting from 20 yards out and sent the final effort of the game off target.
Town’s team (4-3-3)
Jacob Chapman; Jaden Brown (Josef Hefele, 87’), Harry Spratt, Mustapha Olagunju (Nassim Kherbouche, 85’), Demeaco Duhaney; Scott High (c), Josh Austerfield, Abdul Sankoh (Jaheim Headley, 60’); Aaron Rowe, Micah Obiero, Craig Fasanmade (Joel Senior, 69’)
Unused substitutes
Luke Mewitt; Taylor Annakin, Tim Akinola
