All change again at the top
Blackpool went to the top of the Youth Alliance League last week, ahead of Walsall, Accrington Stanley and Port Vale on goal difference, but defeat last Saturday against Walsall saw the Saddlers move back into top place for the second time this season.
Bury had started the weekend just one point behind that group and they too beat one of them, recording a 2-1 victory against Port Vale but it was another win for Accrington, their sixth in seven games, which now means they and Walsall lead the way with 19 points and although Accrington’s goal difference keeps them in second place they do have a game in hand. Not only that, Blackpool’s reverse means Accrington are now the only unbeaten side in the league.
At the other end of the table, both Preston and Wrexham were looking for their first wins. Neither were able to achieve it but for very different reasons. Preston were held to a 2-2 draw by Fleetwood while Wrexham were forced to call off their game against Tranmere, the first Youth Alliance League postponement of the season.
Tranmere are just above both Preston and Fleetwood on goal difference. They all have five points and occupy the three places above Wrexham who have only one point all season. It’s a far cry from four seasons ago when they won the title with only three defeats all season.
Two successive wins have certainly improved our position in the league. After making a decent start to the season it all seemed to come off the rails with six successive defeats, four of them in the league, but a week last Saturday we beat Bury 2-1 with a win by the same scoreline at Carlisle three days ago.
Although, along with Port Vale and Wigan, we’ve played more games than the rest, things do look better with us now in sixth place in the league. This league is all about player development but it really was soul destroying to see us right down in the bottom two last season and a massive ten points behind the next club.
We’re all having a break from it now as attentions turn to the cup. Our next league fixture isn’t until 5th November when Blackpool are the visitors at Gawthorpe, but this Saturday we face Scunthorpe at home in the last of the group games in the Youth Alliance Cup.
It’s all square in Group 4 with all four of us having won one and lost one of the games so far and all on three points. Scunthorpe currently lead the group because of their positive goal difference. The other two in the group, Accrington and Doncaster, meet on Friday.
All last week’s league results are below followed by this week’s cup games, Burnley’s goalscorers and the league table as it stands this week.
The League Table as it stands at the time and Burnley’s Fixtures and Results can always be found within U21/U18 Stats on the top menu.
LAST WEEK’S RESULTS
Saturday 15th October
Accrington 1 Morecambe 0
Bury 2 Port Vale 1
Carlisle 1 Burnley 2
Preston 2 Fleetwood 2
Shrewsbury 0 Wigan 1
Walsall 2 Blackpool 0
Wrexham v Tranmere – postponed
THIS WEEK’S FIXTURES
Friday 21st October
Group 1
Bury v Lincoln
Group 4
Accrington v Doncaster
Group 6
Chesterfield v Port Vale
Saturday 22nd October
Group 1
Rochdale v Grimsby
Group 2
Burton v Shrewsbury
Mansfield v Walsall
Group 3
Carlisle v Preston
Hartlepool v York
Group 4
Burnley v Scunthorpe
Group 5
Blackpool v Morecambe
Bradford City v Rotherham
Group 6
Notts County v Wrexham
Group 7
Fleetwood v Tranmere
Oldham v Wigan
BURNLEY’S GOALSCORERS (League & Cup)
3: Olatunde Bayode, RJ Pingling
2: Nashé Chakwana, Scott Wilson
1: Tristan Jumeau, Dwight McNeil, Kwasinkosi Mpofu, Tyler Shrimpton, Tommy Wood
CURRENT LEAGUE TABLE
| Team | pld | w | d | l | f | a | pts |
| Walsall | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 19 |
| Accrington Stanley | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 19 |
| Bury | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 7 | 18 |
| Blackpool | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 7 | 16 |
| Port Vale | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 11 | 16 |
| Burnley | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
| Carlisle United | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 13 |
| Rochdale | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 12 |
| Wigan Athletic | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 14 | 9 |
| Shrewsbury Town | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 7 |
| Morecambe | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 18 | 7 |
| Tranmere Rovers | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Preston North End | 8 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 5 |
| Fleetwood Town | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 5 |
| Wrexham | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 21 | 1 |
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