Late goal ends cup hopes
After winning through the group stage of the Youth Alliance Cup, there was to be no semi-final place for the young Clarets who fell to a 2-1 defeat this morning against Rochdale with the winner coming late in the game.
It was cruel for our lads who recovered from a near disastrous start to look the more likely winners for much of the remainder of the game, but it wasn’t to be as ‘Dale took advantage of a rare opportunity in the 87th minute to clinch victory.
With just over ten minutes of the game gone you wouldn’t have put your money on anyone but Rochdale. They’d taken an eighth minute lead just after having had a goal disallowed, and a couple of minutes later we were rescued by a somewhat soft free kick as they threatened to double their advantage.
It really had been a difficult start but we came out of that into a more even period before getting on top. We had to contend too with an injury to Dwight McNeil that forced him off with less than 20 minutes gone. Tristan Jumeau came on in his place and that forced a reshuffle in the forward positions.
At times wasteful in possession, we certainly looked the more likely and finally got our equaliser ten minutes before the break. It came from good work down the right hand side with Jumeau and Olatunde Bayode who got in a cross beyond the far post. When it was knocked back in by Nashé Chakwana, there was Tommy Wood to score from close range.
By half time we might well have been ahead but it was all square at 1-1, although Rochdale had a little bit more of the play early in the second half. That came to nothing and for much of the remainder of the game we were in the ascendancy.
Only rarely did we ever look troubled defensively and when put under any pressure we looked secure with the two central defenders Oliver Younger and Scott Wilson in fine form.
Our only problem was not making the most of the opportunities that came our way at the other end. We missed chances, too often didn’t take the best option, but even so this was a game we really should have gone on and won.
Unfortunately that winner didn’t come and, just as we were discussing the likelihood of a penalty shoot out, with that late chance the game was won by our visitors.
On another day this would have been a comfortable win for the young Clarets; today, unfortunately, it went against us, but there were many positives to take from the performance.
The team was: Connor King, James Clarke, Oliver Younger, Scott Wilson, Ali Koiki, Olatunde Bayode, Mark Howarth, Miles Fenton (Tyler Shrimpton 58), Dwight McNeil (Tristan Jumeau 19), Tommy Wood (RJ Pingling 68), Nashé Chakwana.
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