Town’s U19s beaten by strong Fleetwood Town side
- Huddersfield Town U19s given tough test against Fleetwood Town
- Young Terriers beaten 5-0 at Poolfoot Farm
- U19s back in action on Wednesday 17 February 2021
Huddersfield Town U19s were beaten 5-0 by a strong Fleetwood Town outfit at Poolfoot Farm Training Complex in Lancashire on Wednesday afternoon.
An excellently dispatched free-kick by former Rangers and on-loan Swansea City winger Barrie McKay and a volley by Jed Garner were the difference at half-time.
Jon Worthington’s Young Terriers worked hard to half the deficit in the early exchanges of the second half, but ultimately the strength of the Fleetwood side proved decisive as the hosts scored twice in quick succession later in the half before adding a fifth late on.
The first chance of the half fell to the hosts as centre-back Luke Daley’s attempted switch was intercepted by Garner, who advanced into Town’s 18-yard box. Daley made up for his earlier mistake, however, winning back possession with a perfectly timed sliding challenge to deny the Fleetwood centre-forward.
Town then manufactured their first opportunity of the half when a turnover in possession in the final third saw captain Micah Obiero feed Kit Elliott. The striker’s effort from the edge of the area forced a smart stop out of former Town goalkeeper Joel Coleman.
Fleetwood would have taken the lead but for the tenacity and awareness of right-back Ilounga Pata. Onrushing Town goalkeeper Nicholas Bilokapic’s misjudged clearance saw the home side bear down on goal, but with Garner alongside him the forward opted to shoot and Pata was in the right place at the right time to block on the line.
The hosts claimed the advantage in the 28th minute courtesy of a perfect free-kick by McKay. The Scottish international - who made over 100 appearances for Rangers between 2012 and 2017 prior to playing in the EFL - curled in off the post, leaving Bilokapic rooted to the spot.
The Cod Army doubled their lead six minutes later through an emphatic volley by Garner. A miscued effort from a low cut-back looped up invitingly towards the striker who ferociously volleyed into the roof of the net.
The Young Terriers worked hard to get back into the game following the restart and created a chance to half the arrears after a spell of possession. Winger Donay O’Brien-Brady fed Elliott who manipulated the ball through to Obiero with a clever backheel, but the midfielder’s shot across goal was saved by Coleman.
Any chance of a Town comeback was put to bed when the hosts added their third and fourth goals two minutes apart in the 69th and 71st minute respectively. First, Harrison Buggins curled into the top right from distance before Garner netted his second of the afternoon from close range.
Second-half substitute Shayden Morris added a fifth three minutes from time to round off a difficult afternoon on the road for Town’s youngsters.
Huddersfield Town U19s (4-3-3)
Nicholas Bilokapic; Jaheim Headley, Luke Daley, Nassim Kherbouche, Ilounga Pata; Ernaldo Krasniqi, Brodie Spencer, Micah Obiero (c) (Evander Grubb, 82’); Donay O’Brien-Brady (Conor Falls, 65’), Kit Elliott, Will McCamley (Josh Okpolokpo, 78’)
Unused subs
Michael Roxburgh
Final score
Fleetwood Town 5-0 Huddersfield Town U19s
