by Simon Ward (Manager)
TOWN’S academy team returned to action with a bang on Thursday afternoon in the League Cup against Nottingham outfit Carlton Town. The cup is a league competition regionalised where teams play each other once and then the top four advance to a quarter finals.
Town started brightly, opening the scoring after just minutes through year 11 student Amir Smith, who is coming to our programme in September 2022. The lead was doubled when local Brighouse lad Bobby Hamer assisted top scorer Paul Ikoe who finished smartly. To everybody’s surprise Town conceded shortly after from a set play, which woke Town up again and they hit back through the goal of the game as Ethan Donkersley hit a screamer into the top corner from 25 yards.
The game then became a scrappy affair with both teams struggling to get hold of possession. Town looked leggy after a month off from competitive fixtures, and three weeks before that as well, so there were a lot of sliced clearances and passes. Nonetheless Town finished the job around the 70th minute mark with Ikoe taking his tally to 7 in eight games with a well placed header from Donkersley’s corner.
Town finished the game 4-1 winners, albeit with six or seven good chances in the final 15 minutes for the hosts which could have enhanced the scoreline.
“I was particularly pleased with the three year 11 students that took part including Amir who scored and was a threat all game, Tim Ndanaka, who covered every blade of grass, and Callum Manton who was the smallest player on the pitch. He battled and scrapped whilst being mature and was quality in possession while also unlucky to not get on the scoresheet late on, hitting the post with a 20 yard effort.”
Town have league leaders Runcorn away on Thursday. The Merseysiders haven’t lost a game yet and look extremely strong, comfortably brushing aside every single team they face. Town will be hoping to go there and cause an upset to get their league campaign back on track after only one point from six last term.
