Report

On an eagerly expected Sunday morning, 8 Blades players arrived at Burnley Academy to take on their Advanced and Elite squads as well as Parkdale United from St Helens. Making the trip to Burnley was Austin Neal, Lloyd Paterson, jack Birchenough, Josh Brown, Josh Lambert, Jake Marshall, Keane Whitehead and Rowan Gibbons. The matches had been moved from our usual 7-a-side up to 8-a-side, but this didn’t worry the Blades as they knew that they could change and cope with this player extra.

The lads started the round robin scenario against St Helens based Parkdale United for a 10 minutes each way match. Scholesy gave the lads their first team talk of the day and set the side up with Austin in goal, Lloyd and Jack in defence, a new role for Keane who had been asked to sit in the holding midfield allowing Jake to roam free. Josh Brown was right wing, with Josh Lambert on the left and finally Rowan led the front line alone.

The first half was a quiet affair with both teams quite tentative about attacking and taking a chance. Liverpool academy still possibly in the heads of certain players who attended and the worry of defeat a possibility. Half time came and the lads got some much needed fluids on board and set out more positive for the second half.

Chances started being created quite frequently with both Josh’s getting great success up the wings and with Keane doing a superb job breaking up the play in centre midfield the Blades looked both strong in attack and defence. Finally though the Blades made all the pressure count, when they conceded a corner Rowan decided to stay up field as an outlet although the Parkdale defence didn’t see him a bother. That mind set soon changed when the ball fell to Jake in the Blades box and he smashed a long ball up field to the lone figure of Rowan who was clean in 1 on 1. Rowan advanced on the goalkeeper and at one point looked to of taken the ball too far wide until he collected his composure and coolly curled the ball round the keeper into his near post, 1 nil BJFF Blades.

That’s how the scored stayed and the Blades banished the ghosts of Liverpool to record their first victory of the day.

In the second match the Blades were pitted against Burnley’s advanced team. But after the result in the previous match the Blades approached this game with no fear and that showed as from the off they attacked the opposition and created numerous chances to take the lead.

After 7 minutes though the Blades finally did take the lead when a long throw in from Jake was cleverly headed goal wards by Rowan, and although the ball seemed destined to go over the line Josh Brown was there to tap it home just to make sure. So the half time whistle went with the score at 1 nil to the Blades.

With the manager just asking for more of the same in the second half and the players duly obliging it was all one off traffic with Austin barely touching the ball?  It wasn’t long until the Blades doubled their lead when an advancing Rowan was upended for a free kick 15 yards out. Jake Marshall took the free kick but when most thought he would cross it, he decided to shot towards the near post which totally deceived the goalkeeper and made it 2 nil.

With Burnley desperate to get back into the game they started attacking in numbers but just couldn’t break down the back line of Keane, Lloyd, Jack and Austin.

So the full time whistle went and the Blades had won 2 out of 2 matches, taking them into the third and final game brimming full of confidence to face Burnley Elite team.

The players took on lots of fluids before the final match as many had tired legs from there being no substitutes. With this being the toughest test of the day the players were fully focused on remaining unbeaten throughout their trip to Burnley.

The match started as many expected with Burnley pulling the strings but the Blades hard work and determination made it difficult for the opposition to create any clear cut chances. Instead it was the Blades who had the chance to take the lead when Rowan played an inch perfect pass into the on rushing Josh Lambert who used his strength to hold off the defender before cheekily trying to chip the on rushing goalkeeper; if not for a good save the Blades would’ve taken the lead.

Neither team were able to break the dead lock before half time, with both defences staying strong it was going to take something special to win this match. Unfortunately for the Blades they conceded their first goal with 4 minutes left of the match when a hopeful lobbed pass forward somehow managed to loop up and over the stranded Austin in goal to put Burnley Elite 1 nil up and looking likely to win the game.

But the Blades are made of sterner stuff than that and with full time fast approaching it was Keane who made a burst forward to drive his team towards an equaliser. He took the ball up the left wing and after drawing in both defenders he managed to flick the ball inside to his midfield partner Jake. With everyone expecting Jake to dribble the ball forwards, a hopeful shout of “Shoot” from the manager was met with a rasping left footed strike from 20 yards out. The shot flashed towards goal and with the ball moving in the air and the amount of power on it the goalkeeper could only palm the ball into the goal, 1-1.

The Blades had pulled the game back and if there would’ve been another 5 minutes left maybe they could’ve won it, but the result stayed just that.

A fantastic performance by the Blades players who proved to everyone that they are a force to be reckoned with.

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