Young side defeated in EFL Youth Alliance
- Notts County 3-1 Huddersfield Town Under-19s
- Hazeem Bakre opens the scoring for the Young Terriers
- Several Under-16 players get important minutes
A young Huddersfield Town Under-19 side were defeated at Notts County in the latest EFL Youth Alliance game of the season on Saturday.
The game started well for our team in acid lime, with forward Hazeem Bakre putting Town ahead inside just three minutes. The high press worked as County tried to play out from their goal kick, with Aaron Ojungu intercepting a pass before advancing down the right; he pulled the ball back to Bakre in the area, who smashed a powerful shot past the goalkeeper via a small deflection.
Town looked to have a chance to extend their lead in the seventh minute when Anthony Gregory’s long pass look to have set striker Danny Isaac in behind, but an extremely tight offside call went against him.
However, Notts County got back in the game with their first goal in the 24th minute. Marlie Neil lost possession as Town tried to play out, allowing a forward to enter the box by going on the outside of defender Hakeem Legall before firing beneath our goalkeeper.
Thompson’s men should have restored their lead barely two minutes later through a corner. Neil worked a short corner with Bakre and the winger delivered a fantastic cross to the back post, but Legall couldn’t beat the goalkeeper at point blank range with his header.
At the other end, trialist left wing back Montana Gittens did really well to get back alongside his opposing winger to make a last-ditch tackle, having initially been caught wrong side of the attacker to a through ball.
Town continued to probe and couldn’t make the chance of a 36th minute chance. Legall’s long pass set Donnell Garrick away, but he was nudged off balance by the final defender as he tried to beat the goalkeeper. Donnell kept possession and turned back towards goal, but his eventual effort was tame and straight at the goalkeeper.
The home side took control of the ball for the final 10 minutes, but they only mustered one true effort when an attacker outmuscled Ojungu to grab a loose ball inside our area. Fortunately, he could only prod an instinctive effort against the near post, and Legall cleared the rebound.
County did get the ball in the Town net for a second time as the next 45 got under way, but the referee rightly ruled it off for a pull-back on Gittens in the build-up.
Two Town subs then combined well in the 56th minute, with Mo Fikri sending a neat reverse pass into the path of overlapping wing back Joe Nicholson. Sadly, Joe could only steer his shot into the outside of the side netting.
Then came the counterpunch as Notts County took the lead just before the hour mark. Town skipper Omari Mrisho was too casual when dribbling out with the ball, with a tackle and series of quick passes allowing the hosts to work an overload on the opposite side before the final man finished neatly.
The game became quite end-to end at this point as Town looked for an equaliser.
Another ball over the top from Legall soon set Bakre away, but the forward powered a shot way off target on his weaker right foot.
Bennett soon denied an attacker one-on-one with a brilliant near post save with his legs, and then the Terriers had a huge chance to equalise barely a minute later at the other end. Right wing back Gabriano Shelton sent in a perfect cross to the back post, but midfielder Oliver Calland sent an awkward header over the bar when unmarked.
Calland soon won possession high up the pitch before setting Fikri away, but the forward delayed his shot and a defender put in a great sliding block in his own area.
To the other end, where Bennett came to the rescue twice – first making a low, one-handed save and then reacting to claw away a header from the resulting corner.
Sadly, Hugo could do nothing about the Notts County third in the 81st minute. The defence didn’t effectively clear a cross and a home midfielder took full advantage, firing the ball into the far corner from around 18 yards out.
Town’s team (3-4-3)
Hugo Bennett; Omari Mrisho (c), Hakim Legall, Anthony Gregory (Jay Smith-Sway, 65’); Aaron Ojungu (Luke Schofield, 55’), Gabriano Shelton, Marlie Neil, Montana Gittens (Joe Nicholson, 55’); Hazeem Bakre (Oliver Calland, 65’), Danny Isaac (Mo Fikri, 55’), Donnell Garrick
Goal
Hazeem Bakre (3’)
