Town battle back for victory
Town: Cameron Gregory (Jack Atkinson 45), Cameron Esien (Harri Lovett 58), Trialist, George Hughes, Jake Kerins, Joel Bonner, Aaron Gilpin, Chris Gallagher, Tyrone Ofori (Charley Higgs 70), John McAtee, Matt Jones (Jacob Rammell 80)Town’s Under-18s were forced to come from behind to beat Carlisle United 2-1 at Lilleshall on Friday. Carlisle took the lead just before half-time, but goals from Ofori and Jones gave Town the win.
The game was in danger of being called off after rain had fallen all morning, but after some forking from the Town and Carlisle staff the pitch was deemed playable by the referee.
It was even opening 10 minutes before Town came close to opening the lead when some neat interchange between John McAtee and Tyrone Ofori saw the ball played through for Aaron Gilpin but his show was saved by the foot of the Carlisle ‘keeper.
The first half was a fairly quiet affair with few chances at either end. Cameron Gregory was forced into a couple of comfortable saves from distance, whilst at the other end John McAtee tried his luck, but the game looked as if it would be 0-0 at half-time.
However, just a minute before the break Carlisle took the lead. They had caused a few problems down the Town right without managing to find the right cross, but this time they did and Jack Egan was in the box to finish a good cross from Kieron Olsen.
Half Time: 0-1
The goal on the stroke of half-time could have dented Town’s confidence, but they came out stronger in the second half.
They almost equalised five minutes after the break when John McAtee’s cross was headed goalwards by Tyrone Ofori but it was pushed behind for a corner.
Thankfully, two minutes later the same pair combined when McAtee played a lovely back heel through the Carlisle defence and Ofori ran onto it before firing into the top right hand corner of the goal.
McAtee was at the heart of Town’s best work going forward and almost had a goal himself when he unleashed a powerful drive from 25 yards, but the Carlisle number one got across well to make the save.
Matt Jones was the next to test the Carlisle ‘keeper from distance, but he was once again up to the task.
However, Jones would find the target 15 minutes before the end when Town broke quickly from a Carlisle corner and Gilpin fed Jones, who turned his man before burying a left footed shot low to the ‘keepers left.
Town made a few substitutions as they looked to hold on, but they still had ‘keeper Atkinson to thank for maintaining the 2-1 scoreline when he made a fine diving save from a corner on the stroke of full-time.
Full Time: 2-1