Visitors equalise with final kick of the game.
- Huddersfield Town U19s 2-2 Mansfield Town
- Hazeem Bakre & Anthony Gregory score
- B Team travels to Sunderland on Monday
Town’s Under-19 side was denied a win in their opening EFL Youth Alliance fixture of the season on Saturday when visitors Mansfield equalised from the penalty spot with the final kick of the game.
The Young Terriers’, featuring four trialists in the squad, had to defend well against the visitors throughout, but counterpunched well to take a two-goal lead through striker Hazeem Bakre and centre back Anthony Gregory’s first for the club.
However, despite the heroics of goalkeeper Francis Hurl, who performed very well throughout, the visitors managed come back to gain a point.
Having defended their box well to start the game, Town took the lead in the 13th minute. Trialist Toluwa Junaid did well to keep the ball in on the touchline and found midfielder Temi Okuwa, who spread play to the right for winger Aaron Ojungu. He drove forward and then infield before passing to first year scholar Oliver Calland, who moved the ball into the area for Bakre; he touch one touch before firing past the goalkeeper.
Mansfield were awarded three penalties in the game, the first coming two minutes after the Town opener when trialist Isaac Acquah brought down a winger from behind. However, Hurl did brilliantly, flinging himself to his left to claw the ball away before a free kick was awarded.
The visitors missed a point-blank header before Town scored their second in the 38th minute. Acquah did well to win a corner on our left side and when captain Dylan Helliwell delivered the set piece into the box, Gregory (pictured above) rose highest to nod the ball towards goal, with it cannoning in off a defender.
Hurl made several good saved as the game continued, whilst Bakre went close to a second with a snapshot at the other end.
It was Mansfield who reduced the arrears with around 20 minutes left, with another trialist inadvertently putting a Mansfield player clear with a tackle in midfield and that playing finally beating Hurl.
Mansfield’s second penalty was awarded soon after when a trialist made a clumsy challenge, but this time the spot kick was fired over.
However, the referee offered a slightly harsh looking third in added time when Freddie Fletcher was adjudged to have blocked a shot with his arm, from which he was shown a straight red card. This time Mansfield did convert.
Town’s B Team is back in action on Monday evening, travelling to the north east to take on Sunderland at the Academy of Light.
Town’s team (4-2-3-1)
Francis Hurl; Omari Mrisho, Freddie Fletcher, Anthony Gregory, Isaac Acquah; Dylan Helliwell (c), Temi Okuwa; Aaron Ojungu, Oliver Calland (Israel Ajana, 46’), Toluwa Junaid; Hazeem Bakre (Alieu Kebe, 66’)
Unused substitute
Alex Walpole
