Tom Lees plays important 90 minutes in comprehensive win.
- Huddersfield Town B 5-1 Rotherham United
- Young Terriers victorious in Central League Cup opener
- Teenage striker Hazeem Bakre nets a hat-trick!
Tom Lees completed his first 90 minutes of the season as the Huddersfield Town B Team recorded a comprehensive 5-1 victory over visitors Rotherham United in the Central League Cup.
The game, played in blustery conditions at the Millers Oils High Performance Complex, featured a hat-trick from 17-year-old striker Hazeem Bakre, as well as goals from trialist Stephan Padrao and captain Mustapha Olagunju.
Barring Lees, Jon Worthington’s side had a young look to it, with Darren Moore taking First Team training on a different part of the site at the same time.
The starting line-up featured two players on trial; winger Padrao and central midfielder Kallum Cesay, formerly of Tottenham Hotspur.
The first chance of the game came in the 12th minute when Padrao’s deft touch allowed the ever-impressive Tom Iorpenda to take the ball and find Cian Philpott on the edge of the box. The attacking midfielder tried his luck on his weaker left foot but dragged his effort wide from 20 yards out.
Rotherham tried to hit back when winger Ben Hatton sent a great early cross towards the front post, but tall striker Josh Ayres could only divert his diving header well wide of the upright.
Town started to take control of the game after the 20-minute mark and left wing back Luke Daley missed a golden chance to score in the 27th minute. Fellow wing back Neo Eccleston showed great feet to jink past a defender and test the goalkeeper with a low drive, with the save from Nat Ford falling into Daley’s path at the back post. However, he managed to divert the ball over on his right foot when it looked earlier to score.
Bakre soon had a shot on the turn blocked from a Town corner, but the Young Terriers soon made the pressure count and took the lead in the 33rd minute. Iorpenda won the ball high up the pitch and found Bakre, whose forward ball fell into the path of Padrao; he made no mistake in beating the goalkeeper to his right side from close range.
The second followed before the interval, with Bakre netting his first of the afternoon. Iorpenda was involved again, flicking Philpott’s near post corner into the danger zone for the young striker to turn past the goalkeeper.
Bakre scored his second, and Town’s third, as we took control after the interval. A quick 49th minute attack down the left led to Padrao sending in an early cross towards Bakre and although it just evaded him, Eccleston had the awareness to quickly return it towards the forward. He took one touch on the penalty spot before beating the goalkeeper low to his right.
Lees actually scored an unfortunate own goal in the 57th minute, not spotting that goalkeeper Gio Bellagambi had come short for a back-pass and placing the ball wide of his custodian and into the far corner.
However, it was the men in blue and white who finished the game strongly with another two goals.
First Bakre completed an impressive hat-trick with the pick of his goals in the 62nd minute. Olagunju released him behind the Rotherham defence with a superb, clipped pass over the top and he outpaced the last defender before rounding the goalkeeper and sliding the ball into the vacant net.
Having set up the fourth, Olagunju went one better and scored an impressive fifth for his team soon after. Lees met an attacking corner with a header that looped into the air and goalkeeper Ford’s punch fell to the left corner of the penalty area, where the centre back collected it, composed himself and bent a beautiful effort across the goalkeeper and inside the far post!
Bellagambi pulled off a stunning reaction save late on, getting across his goal to turn a point-blank header over his crossbar when it looked inevitable that Rotherham would score.
Town’s team (3-4-3)
Giosue Bellagambi; Tom Lees, Mustapha Olagunju (c), David Adewoju; Neo Eccleston, Kallum Cesay (Myles Bright, 69’), Tom Iorpenda, Luke Daley (Dylan Helliwell, 46’); Cian Philpott, Hazeem Bakre, Stephan Padrao (Omari Mrisho, 69’)
Unused substitute
Francis Hurl
Town goals
Stephan Padrao (33’), Hazeem Bakre (38’, 49’, 62’), Mustapha Olagunju (74’)
