Hazeem Bakre & Dylan Helliwell score in defeat
- Huddersfield Town Under-19s lose to Oldham Athletic
- Young Terriers lead, but poor second half concessions
- Game was in the EFL Youth Alliance Cup
Huddersfield Town Under-19s were defeated by visitors Oldham Athletic in the EFL Youth Alliance Cup at the Millers Oils High Performance Complex on Saturday morning.
In the freezing conditions, Town had large spells of control in the opening 45 minutes on the 3G pitch and led at the interval through Hazeem Bakre’s latest goal, but a poor six minutes at the start of the second half cost them dearly and ended the cup campaign.
Town were dealt an early blow when winger Tyree Sanusi dropped out during the warm-up, but weathered some early impetus from the visitors before taking control early in the game. A Latics defender was needed to make two good blocks as early as the seventh minute, first to block trialist Isaac Acquah’s header from Dylan Helliwell’s corner and then to deny Fope Deru on the follow-up.
The first goal came inside 25 minutes, starting when midfielder Dan Vost won the ball in the centre circle. He found Acquah, who turned his man before squaring across the Oldham penalty area to Joseph Johnson; he kept the ball moving left to Deru, who went outside his man before pulling it back for Bakre to finish first-time from close range.
Oldham tried to respond with an immediate ball over the top that momentarily caught centre back Freddie Fletcher square, but the 16-year-old recovered well to block the eventual shot as the player entered the area.
Town continued to enjoy the majority of the ball in the lead-up to the interval, but the best effort they could muster towards a second saw Bakre shoot wide from right back Omari Mrisho’s powerful low cross.
The game was turned on its head after the break with two Oldham goals inside six minutes, both from set pieces.
The first, in the 50th minute, saw a free kick drop at the back post, where substitute Michael Parker couldn’t clear – allowing a visiting player to stab the ball past Francis Hurl from 12 yards.
Oldham’s second came from a 56th minute corner, with the ball beating Hurl through a big deflection when the visiting player powered a shot goalwards.
Town failed to secure the final pass thereafter, making the game stretched. Oldham were in the ascendancy during this period, and goalkeeper Hurl was needed to make a smart double save in the 66th minute to keep the deficit at one.
We also had a let off with 15 minutes left when an Oldham man skied a shot from 20 yards.
Town were thrown a lifetime five minutes later when an Oldham man saw red, getting a second yellow for dissent, only for a real ‘sliding doors’ moment to soon put the game beyond reach.
At the attacking end, Mrisho went inches away from equalising, heading Helliwell’s excellent free kick from the left wide. He then sprinted back to our penalty area to try and deny a quick Oldham counter, only to steer the ball into his own goal in trying to prevent an opponent from sweeping a low cross home.
Town did get one back with two minutes remaining. At this point winger Fope Deru was driving us forward, and twice he found Helliwell free on the edge of the area. The goalkeeper saved his powerful first, but Dylan gave him no chance with the second – an expertly curled effort that went to the goalkeeper’s left and kissed the post on it’s way in.
George Danaher’s side did have a final chance, but midfielder Vost headed another superb Helliwell free-kick inches over the crossbar.
Town’s team (4-2-3-1)
Francis Hurl; Omari Mrisho, Freddie Fletcher, Archie Sheppard, Ajay Weston (Malone Mbakwa, 59’); Dylan Helliwell, Daniel Vost; Joseph Johnson (Michael Parker, 46’), Isaac Acquah, Fope Deru (c); Hazeem Bakre
Unused substitute
Sam Taylor
Goals
Hazeem Bakre (24’), Dylan Helliwell (88’)
Bookings
Malone Mbakwa (65’), Daniel Vost (74’), Hazeem Bakre (88’)
