Under-18s come from two goals behind
Shrewsbury Town’s youth team came from two goals down to earn a point at Blackpool in the league on Saturday.Town had gone in a goal ahead at half-time thanks to Josh Ginnelly’s stunning curled effort early on.
But three Blackpool goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half – two from Dom Telford and one for Samuel Bright – overturned the game for the young Seasiders.
However, Town’s Under-18s never gave up and Jack Butts pulled one back before Kaiman Anderson converted a penalty to earn the young Shrews a share of the spoils.
TEAM NEWS
Head of academy coaching Ian Dawes made three changes to the side which faced Tranmere Rovers in the FA Youth Cup on Wednesday night.
Ryan Hickman, Jeff Watkins and Niall Flint all dropped out in place of Jack Butts, Callum Roberts and Joel Carta.
FIRST HALF
Both sides looked to get the ball down and play attacking football under a strong sun early on, and Town went closest to taking the lead in the 13th minute when Ginnelly fired in a curling effort from long range which Pool goalkeeper Daniel Milton tipped onto his crossbar.
Ginnelly beat the Canadian goalkeeper with another long-range attempt three minutes later, though, to give Dawes’ side the lead.
The midfielder cut inside from the right, onto his left foot on the edge of the penalty area, before curling an unstoppable shot into the top left corner.
It took Blackpool 22 minutes to register their first real effort on goal, when Rowan Richardson fired harmlessly wide.
However, Richie Kyle’s side went even closer a minute later a loose ball allowed Henry Cameron a clear sight of the near corner, but the winger was only able to find the side netting.
Striker Dom Telford then went close to an equaliser for the Seasiders on the half-hour mark after beating two Town defenders on the left but dragged his shot wide of the far post.
At the other end, the young Shrews could have doubled their lead when defender Callum Grogan headed just past the left post from Ginnelly’s free-kick on the left.
Blackpool came back at Town again a minute later and goalkeeper Alex Ashton had to get down low to turn Cameron’s drive on the right around the near post.
The Tangerines were unable to find an equaliser before the break, though.
HALF-TIME: Blackpool 0-1 Shrewsbury Town
Town had 15 minutes to forget at the start of the second period as Blackpool scored three times to hold a two-goal lead.
First, the Seasiders were awarded a penalty for a supposed handball from midfielder Joel Carta inside the penalty box in the 47th minute.
Pool striker Telford stepped up to convert the resulting penalty into the left corner, over the reaching hand of Ashton.
Cameron was nearly the man to fire Kyle’s side in front three minutes later when Telford released him down the inside right, but the winger drilled low and wide of the left post.
It was Bright who put Blackpool in front in 56th minute as the midfielder guided a looping header from just inside the penalty over Ashton and into the top right corner.
The half-hour mark then brought a third goal for Pool as Telford drove through the centre of the field before unleashing a stunning, curled effort over Ashton from nearly 25 yards out to give the Seasiders a two-goal advantage.
Telford could have had a fourth for Pool but Carta got in the way to block a shot which was destined for the net.
At the other end, Tom King was denied for Town by goalkeeper Milton on the left after being found free in space by Anderson.
However, Dawes’ side reduced the deficit to one with 17 minutes of normal time to go as King’s low cross from the left went all the way through to Butts at the far post who then squeezed his effort into the roof of the Blackpool net.
And Town were handed a penalty in the 76th minute for a handball inside the box, with Anderson finding the bottom left corner from the spot despite Milton nearly managing to keep it out.
There were chances for either side to find a winning goal late on.
For Blackpool, Cameron’s cross from the left was headed wide by Waddington, while in the 85th minute, another Cameron cross found the head of substitute Eliot Pond whose effort crashed back of the crossbar from six yards out.
At the other end, substitute Jacob Farleigh shot from outside the box, looking to find a winning goal, but Milton got across to hold.
There was an even better chance for Ginnelly to grab the winner as he got in behind the Blackpool defence, but the midfielder lashed his effort over the bar.
In the end, neither side could go on to get the winner and had to settle for a point in the Football League Youth Alliance – North West fixture.
FULL-TIME: Blackpool 3-3 Shrewsbury Town
SHREWSBURY TOWN LINE-UP: Alex Ashton (GK): Jack Butts, Callum Grogan, Callum Roberts, Ben Burton, Alex Fletcher, Joe Kenton, Joel Carta, Josh Ginnelly (c), Kaiman Anderson, Jordan Wilson (Tom King, 52’).
UNUSED SUBS: Ryan Hickman, George Hassall, George Hughes.
GOALS: Ginnelly (16’), Butts (73’), Anderson (Pen, 76’).
BLACKPOOL LINE-UP: Daniel Milton (GK); Macauley Wilson (Anthony Cato, , Luke Higham, Mark Waddington (c), Sam Roscoe, Joe Moulden, Samuel Bright, James Doyle, Dom Telford, Rowan Richardson (Eliot Pond, 45’), Henry Cameron.
UNUSED SUBS: Myles Boney, Kit Gregory.
GOALS: Telford (Pen 47’, 60’), Bright (56’).
REFEREE: Mr S Doherty
Assistant 1: Mr A Byrne
Assistant 2: Mr M Moore
To see a full album of photographs from the game, CLICK HERE.
NEXT FIXTURE: Rochdale v Shrewsbury Town (Saturday 29 November, Youth Alliance – North West league, 11am kick-off).
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