First week favours the teams on the road
It was very much the away teams who came out on top two day ago as the U18 Professional Development League kicked off with five away wins to add to two goalless draws.
One of the seven games, that between Colchester and Crystal Palace, was an all south affair while the others were all north v south which has left our league without a single winner.
We were one of the home teams beaten. We lost 3-0 at Gawthorpe against Millwall in, as you can imagine, horrible weather conditions. Tony Philliskirk named nine second year scholars in his line up with just Ben Woods (pictured) and Joe McGlynn of the first years getting a start.
Millwall netted from the penalty spot in only the fourth minute and led 2-0 by half time, adding a third in the second half. Our team was: Harry Allen, Kane Patterson, Udoka Chima, Joe Conley, Matty Rain, Rhys Fenlon, Ne-Jai Tucker, Ben Woods, Mitch George, Jayden Major, Joe McGlynn. Subs: Corey Brennan, Finlay Armstrong, Joel Connolly, Jake Rooney.
Elsewhere, there were two teams beaten by four goals. In the aforementioned all south clash, that went the way of Crystal Palace who won 4-0 against Colchester. It’s not the best of starts again for Colchester who finished bottom of the south group last season and conceded 102 goals.
Bolton were beaten 5-1 at home by Watford. Perhaps that’s no surprise given some of their squad were on duty for the first team because of the ongoing situation at Bolton. There were also defeats for Yorkshire pair Leeds and Sheffield United with Charlton and Coventry coming out on top in those games.
This coming week brings a full fixture list with the north clubs travelling south to try and redress the balance of the opening day. With an odd number of teams in the north group this season with the addition of Wigan, it is Bolton who have no fixture this week.
All the opening day results and the first week’s fixtures are below.
LAST WEEK’S RESULTS
Saturday 10th August
Bolton 1 Watford 5
Burnley 0 Millwall 3
Crewe 0 Bristol City 0
Hull 0 Cardiff 0
Leeds 1 Charlton 2
Sheffield United 3 Coventry 4
Colchester 0 Crystal Palace 4
THIS WEEK’S FIXTURES
Friday 16th August
Crystal Palace v Sheffield United
Saturday 17th August
Bristol City v Burnley
Cardiff v Crewe
Charlton v Hull
Colchester v Leeds
Coventry v Nottingham Forest
Ipswich v Sheffield Wednesday
Millwall v Wigan
QPR v Barnsley
Watford v Birmingham
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