Burnley Youth 1-2 United Youth

Frenchfields, just outside Penrith

Both sides fielded weakened teams for the match with Burnley leaving out some of their older players who have recently been released. United meanwhile were playing a Cumberland Cup game at 12.30pm only five miles away and the older players made up part of the side for that clash against Carlisle City, along with the first-team players who weren’t involved in the excellent 3-0 win at Northampton 14 hours earlier.

The Clarets, who are second in the table, started the brighter and four minutes in left-winger Lewis Craig played a pass into the chest of Nicky Platt. Central midfielder Platt let the ball drop before hitting a right-footed half-volley from 22 yards out which whistled past the far-post of Carlisle keeper Adam Bradley.

Two minutes later it was the turn of the Blues to go close as Burnley right-back Jack Overson, son of coach Vince, brought down United midfielder Shaun Vipond out on the left. Fellow midfield man James Earl curled a sweet free-kick in from 25 yards out with his right foot which Clarets keeper Mark Crossley did well to push round his post for a corner.

After a quiet spell in the game, with both sides battling for possession in midfield, the young Cumbrians took the lead with a nice individual goal from midfielder Gary Baker. Picking the ball up 40 yards out Baker ran in on goal, past the challenge of Burnley centre-half Tom Blackler, and hit a shot into the far corner of the Clarets net with his right foot from fully 22 yards out. It was a well-placed effort by Baker but Crossley will be disappointed with his efforts to keep it out.

Four minutes later it was the home side/visitors pushing forward for an equaliser as Overson fed right-winger Adam Kay, taking a quick touch Kay then sent centre-forward Rob Turner away down the right-hand side. Turner did well to get to the by-line and smash a shot in across the face of Bradley but it was off-target and the Blues escaped with a goal-kick.

In the 29^th minute the Clarets almost scored after what seemed a clear foul on the United keeper. Craig curled a corner in from the right at which Turner seemed to stick his arm across the face of Bradley, the referee waved play on though and it was up to Blues right-back Ashley Combe to hack the ball away from the line after some pinball in the Carlisle six-yard box.

Burnley were putting on some good pressure now and after 33 minutes a clearing header from United left-back Matthew Blake went straight to the Clarets’ Jay Rodriguez. The young midfielder took the ball down well on his chest but his attemped volleyed lob over Bradley was weakly hit and drifted wide of the Carlisle far-post.

The last meaningful action of the half came in the 39^th minute as centre-half Martin Reilly rose well ten yards out to meet a Craig corner in, Reilly’s header flying just wide of the United woodwork. There was little else to go on then up to the interval as both sides struggled to hold onto the ball in a congested midfield, with a strong and swirling wind only adding to the problems.

Five minutes into the second period some good interplay between Turner and Overson for the Clarets saw Overson try an effort from 20 yards out, it was a defender’s shot though and it only bobbled straight into the grateful arms of Bradley.

In the 52^nd minute it was the Blues pressing on in what was turning out to be an end-to-end game. A ball from Baker broke through to Bainbridge who was suddenly clear and running in on goal. United’s top scorer in the youth team rounded Crossley on the edge of the Burnley box but he was off-balance and his soft shot at goal was easily cleared away from the line by Blackler who had raced back to cover. The Carlisle youngsters went close again three minutes later when centre-half Terry Stewart was unlucky to see his eight-yard header plough into the Clarets’ side-netting from an Earl corner.

After 62 minutes Overson played a deep ball up to Rodriguez just outside the United ‘D’. Rodriguez turned well past Earl but his powerful drive was always on the rise and the gusty wind took it flying over the bar and into the field behind Bradley’s goal. It was the Blues though who would turn their opportunities into a goal when Stewart put them into a 2-0 lead two minutes later.

Reilly gave away a free-kick for handball 35 yards out on the right as he challenged for the ball with Carlisle utility player Jake Simpson. Blake dummied to take it and in behind came Earl to curl a lovely free-kick into the penalty spot area, Stewart being the first player up to flick a deft header over Crossley and into the far corner of the Burnley net for a well-worked set-piece goal.

That was the signal for the Burnley coaching staff to bring on Dean Stott as a direct replacement for left-back Paul Casey. Shortly afterwards Baker was getting forward well again for the Blues and it took a brave challenge from Reilly to deflect his 20-yard drive inches wide of the Clarets’ far-post.

In the 69^th minute Burnley hauled themselves back into the game with a clever finish from frontman Alex McDonald. Platt played a short pass into McDonald who turned quickly to feint a shot into Bradley’s top-right corner, only to send his effort in the opposite direction and leave the young Blues keeper flat-footed as it flew into the net from the left-edge of the Carlisle box.

Twelve minutes from time Simpson was brought down by Blackler in a robust challenge 30 yards out from the Burnley goal, youth team coach David Wilkes taking the opportunity in the break of play to bring on the pacey Mike Stewardson for midfielder Matthew Wood. Earl, as normal, stepped up to take the free-kick but his effort was too powerful and Crossley was able to watch the shot fly over his own crossbar.

After 84 minutes a Blake long throw into the Clarets box was headed straight to Baker by Reilly, Baker sending his right-footed volley from 20 yards out well wide of the target though. Two minutes later McDonald came off the field to be replaced by Ali Akbar as Burnley looked to up the tempo and grab a late equaliser against the young Blues for the second time this season.

The Clarets did put some good pressure on the United goal in the closing stages, especially when Reilly hammered a long distance shot in with his left-foot which Bradley did well to push away round his post for a corner in the 88^th minute. That led to a succession of flag-kicks for the Clarets but some resolute defending from the Blues saw all the attacks repelled and Carlisle managed to hold out with relative comfort to win a match in which both sides had played some good football.