Academy report

[A-teen_six_T3]

Another long but detailed report on the academy this time a 2 all draw at liverpool saturdya just gone


Stoke City 2 Liverpool 2
Posted on: Mon 24 Nov 2008

City's Under 18's fought back from two goals down to earn a share of the spoils in a frantic game at the Michelin Sports Ground on Saturday.

The Potters were forced into a number of changes as centre backs Mattie Cohen and Rodney McDonald were replaced by Ryan Connor and Ashley Page as well as Adam Vickers replacing Jack Harrison on the left wing.

The opening exchanges saw the game get off to a spluttering start with both sides needing to make substitutions due to injury, the Potters having to replace Salif Diao-Jiminez with Danny Stockhall.
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It was Liverpool who created the first chance on 12 minutes as a neat move through the midfield allowed the visitors to get a shot in the from the edge if the area, but it bobbled harmlessly wide.

The game continued to flow from end to end without any real opportunities arising until the 18th minute when a Liverpool midfielder dribbled his way into the Potters penalty area before unleashing a powerful effort that Potters keeper Tom Harrison could only parry up into the air.

The ball spun over his body and towards the line before Harrison recovered and pounced on the ball seemingly before it got to the line, only for the referee's assistant to put his flag up and signal a goal, much to the astonishment of the home side and all spectators.

Stoke were now on a mission to pull themselves back level and Adam Vickers nearly netted the equaliser when he picked up the ball just inside the opposition half and dribbled past two defenders before forcing the keeper into a fine save low to his right with a drilled effort from 15 yards.

The Potters found themselves two down on 25 minutes, and there were no complaints about the legitimacy of the second goal as a classic counter attack from a Stoke corner saw the visitors have three attackers on two defenders and when Amoo played in Dalla Valle for Liverpool on the edge of the area he had the time and space to bury his effort and duly powered it past an exposed Harrison.

Dalla Valle was keen to add to his tally and was put through in the 34th minute but Harrison came out to meet him and stood up well to block the strikers effort but the ball could only deflect to Ince who was instantly met by a number of Stoke shirts whose presence saw him skew his effort wide and the Potters breathed a sigh of relief.

The Potters capitalised on the chance they had been given when, just three minutes later, Adam Vickers picked up a loose ball following a defensive mix up and drilled it through the keepers legs and into the net to bring Stoke right back into the match.

The Potters lost another player just before half time as Richard Vauls had to be withdrawn and winger Jack Harrison had to come on and take his place at left back. It meant the Potters had now lost their entire back four from their last game.

In didn't seem to affect the Potters as the second half got underway when Louis Moult curled a fabulous free kick in from the left wing which the visitors made a hash of clearing, and following a mad scramble in the penalty area the ball fell to Andy Nicholls, and he stabbed it home from 8 yards, starting manic celebrations amongst the Potters players.

Potters talismanic captain Nathaniel Wedderburn showed real glimpses of class and skill with the game receding into a battle of the midfields as both defences got on top of any attacking moves, cutting out many a final ball hurled towards their respective goal in the following twenty minutes.

The visitors had a golden opportunity to reclaim the lead on 68 minutes when substitute Kacaniklic flicked a long ball on towards Ince, freeing the striker up for a run on goal with just Harrison to beat.

Ince hammered the ball goal wards but a fantastic diving stop by the Potters keeper thwarted him.

Harrison could only parry the ball towards Amoo, 10 yards out, but his effort ballooned over the open goal with the Potters keeper looking on happy he had earned that bit of luck.

Harrison was called upon just two minutes later when a corner was only half cleared before being floated back in and Amoo, trying to make amends for his shocking miss, nodded the ball towards goal. Harrison had started to position himself to collect the cross and had to use all the length of his arms to readjust and claw the ball in.

Ince found himself through one on one again in the 73rd minute, as the visitors cranked up the pressure, but Harrison denied him yet again with a good save low to his left.

The Potters changed things round with 12 minutes left as Warwick Alexander was replaced by Alex Hedley, making his first appearance for the U18's, who went to right back sparking yet another defensive change as Stockhall moved into the midfield to help the Potters get a better grip on the game.

It didn't stop the visitors creating another chance less than 60 seconds later as Liverpool captain Joe Kennedy whipped in a great cross for Dalla Valle, but he headed over from 6 yards when unmarked.

The Potters started to get a foothold on the midfield battles again with Nathaniel Wedderburn controlling the game and created a chance of their own when, the now lone striker, Louis Moult flicked the ball over his markers head before dribbling forward. He spotted the bursting run of Vickers and played a great ball into the path of the striker-sum-winger. Vickers held off a defender but his effort from the edge of the area was well held by the keeper.

Stoke's rearguard had just one more cross to defend when a raking ball to the far post was headed over by Amoo, after he had been put under heavy pressure from Ryan Connor.

CITY (4-4-2): T. Harrison, Diao-Jiminez (Stockhall 8), Vauls (J. Harrison 42), Connor, Page, Urwin, Vickers, Wedderburn, Nicholls, Moult, Alexander (Hedley 78).

by Dan Buxton

[wembley4372]

Nice one. Thanks.

[th05]

Cheers for that.