A long morning at Gawthorpe but no goals
I got more than we bargained for when I made my first 2016/17 visit to Gawthorpe this morning to watch the youth team’s first pre-season friendly against Rotherham United.
I arrived earlier than usual in the hope of getting some photographs showing the recent development of the new build and pitches. Michael Duff and his players were on their way back to the dressing room but a match was already in progress.
I often moan about traffic problems going to away games and they’ve hit already this season; the youth players were making their way back because our opponents had been held up on the M62 because of an accident.
The game in progress was a development squad game against Barnoldswick. The Clarets’ second string were already 2-0 up with goals from Dan Agyei and Josh Ginnelly and that’s how it finished. I can’t comment too much on the game but George Green, Alex Whitmore along with Agyei all played and my word, new signing Jimmy Dunne is very tall.
Eventually the young Millers arrived and it was just a matter of turning round 180 degrees to view the next pitch as the under-18s kicked off.
It all ended 0-0 but in truth it shouldn’t have done. At times we played some very good football but missed chances that we probably should have done better with although Rotherham too will be disappointed with some opportunities that went begging.
But there was some good work at either end of the pitch. Both Connor King and Marcel Wusiewicz, who shared the goalkeeping duties, made good saves and there was some good defending to catch the eye as well as the productive play going forward.
It was also good to hear a coach on the touchline offering encouragement to the players, further evidence that things are changing for the good in the academy.
Because of the late start, and the referee having another game this afternoon, it was curtailed to 40 minutes in each half. We made any number of substitutions in the second half, to the point where I’m not sure who was out there and who wasn’t.
But it was a positive morning, even if it was longer than expected and I didn’t see a goal.
The starting line up was: Connor King, Leighton Egan, Oliver Younger, Scott Wilson, Kwasinkosi Mpofu, Tristan Jumeau, Mark Howarth, Joe McCormack, Tyler Shrimpton, Nashé Chakwana, Tommy Wood.
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