A penalty from Micah Obiero seals a point in the Central League
- Huddersfield Town Under-19s draw 1-1 with Fleetwood Town
- A Micah Obiero penalty draws the Young Terriers level
- Several youngsters involved with the First Team squad play
A second-half penalty from striker Micah Obiero gave Huddersfield Town’s Under-19 side a point against Fleetwood Town at PPG Canalside on Tuesday afternoon.
The draw keeps the Young Terriers top of the North West Central League group with four games played, with Town coming from behind to end Fleetwood’s 100% record in the competition.
Several of Town’s young players who have been involved in Danny Cowley’s match day squad started the game, with Demeaco Duhaney and Rarmani Edmonds-Green playing alongside their younger colleagues – including Matty Daly, Scott High and Ben Jackson.
However, it was Fleetwood who enjoyed by far the better of the first 45 minutes and deservedly led at the interval, with the lively attacking duo of the experienced Ashley Hunter and Dan Mooney causing problems for the Terriers.
Fleetwood’s side was very well organised on the day, staying compact and narrow in the centre of the pitch and showing a real threat on the counter-attack. Town tried to use the switch of play to find a way around their visitors but couldn’t get the execution right.
Hunter and Mooney had already fired efforts just wide of target before they combined to score the opener just before the half hour. Town found themselves short of numbers on the right side of defence as Fleetwood broke at speed, allowing Hunter to slip the ball right to Mooney. He drew goalkeeper Jacob Chapman before sliding the ball past the goalkeeper’s right side.
Town’s best effort of the half had come just beforehand when skipper High struck the crossbar with a 25-yard free-kick following a foul on winger Aaron Rowe.
Fleetwood were unlucky not to double their advantage three minutes before the interval, with striker Ged Garner desperately unlucky to see his brilliant left-footed effort cannon back off the post.
Academy Manager Leigh Bromby introduced midfielder Tim Akinola during the interval, switching his side’s shape to 4-2-3-1, and it did interrupt Fleetwood’s rhythm.
Akinola, 18, is currently experiencing senior football through a loan at Brighouse Town and he added a real physical presence to the engine room.
The equaliser, which came just after the hour, owed a lot to the midfielder. He led a high press when Fleetwood had possession in their own half and, when the visitors tried to play through it, he won the ball before being felled just inside the penalty area.
Up stepped Obiero, also 18, to send goalkeeper James Cottam the wrong way from the spot for his third goal in just two games, and his fifth of the season.
The likes of Daly, High, Duhaney and Jackson were then withdrawn and with Town’s Under-18 side preparing for Wednesday’s FA Youth Cup game at Chelsea, it was several 16-year olds that replaced them.
The game became scrappy at this stage, but led by the vocal Edmonds-Green, the Young Terriers saw the match out for a point.
Town’s team (4-4-2)
Jacob Chapman; Ben Jackson (Ernaldo Krasniqi, 64’), Nassim Kherbouche, Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Demeaco Duhaney (Ilounga Pata, 64’); Will McCamley, Scott High (c) (Darnel Baxter-Alleyne, 64’), Matty Daly (Robson Shipley, 64’), Aaron Rowe; Kit Elliott (Tim Akinola, 46’), Micah Obiero
Town scorer
Micah Obiero (63’)
Town bookings
Micah Obiero (51’), Tim Akinola (68’), Will McCamley (86’)
