Young Terriers put four past the visitors at PPG Canalside
- Under-17s apply lessons from training in their latest game
- The Young Terriers put four past Chesterfield at PPG Canalside
- Huddersfield Town starting XI all aged 16 years old
Huddersfield Town’s Under-17 side showed just how well they could apply lessons from training in a game situation on Saturday morning, utilising the high press to beat Chesterfield.
Coach Jon Worthington will have been delighted to see his starting XI – all aged 16 years old – stick to the game-plan from the first seconds of the game, penning the Spireites youngsters in and setting the tone for an impressive performance.
The Young Terriers completely dominated the ball, forcing the visitors to kick the ball long time and time again with the press led by striker Robson Shipley. When the ball did go long, centre backs Loick Ayina and Joshua Okpolokpo tidied up easily.
The first goal of the game came inside 20 minutes, when good build-up play from the impressive Myles Bright released Gulutte Zunda – playing right back on the day – into space. His cross was diverted onto the crossbar by a scrambling defender and Town skipper Ben Midgley was first to react to the rebound, getting in front of the other players to prod the ball into the far corner.
Barely three minutes later, Okpolokpo doubled the advantage after a clever set piece. A free kick was taken quickly by the Terriers, allowing Midgley to cross towards Ayina; he got the first contact on the ball, with his centre half partner collecting the ball before calmly slotting it into the bottom corner.
Chesterfield make three substitutions during the half-time break to try and turn the tide, but Town continued to make the running and netted their third in the 55th minute. Midgley was involved again, with his good long-range shot being pushed out by the goalkeeper, where Shipley reacted quickest to poke home the rebound.
Holding midfielder Ernaldo Krasniqi completed the scoring with just under a quarter of an hour remaining, stepping past an opposing player before firing a thunderous shot past the goalkeeper’s left side from nearly 30 yards out.
Chesterfield netted the final goal of the game with five minutes remaining, but that couldn’t take the gloss off a superb performance from Town.
Town’s U17 team vs Chesterfield (4-3-3)
Michael Roxburgh; Luke Daley, Loick Ayina, Josh Okpolokpo, Gulutte Zunda; Ernaldo Krasniqi, Ben Midgley (c) (Exauce Baruc, 68’), Brahima Diarra; Darnel Baxter-Alleyne, Robson Shipley (Remi Thompson, 68’), Myles Bright
Town booking
Ernaldo Krasniqi, 68’
Final score
Huddersfield Town Under-17s 4-1 Chesterfield
Scorers
Ben Midgley (20’), Josh Okpolokpo (23’), Robson Shipley (55’), Ernaldo Krasniqi (76’)
