Town U18’s put four past Morecambe
The Under-18’s enjoyed a four-nil win over Morecambe on Saturday, in a tantalising display of football. Town took the lead in the 3rd minute through Mwandwe’s clinical strike. Morecambe struggled in the final third and Town capitalised in the 16th when Ofori reacted quickest inside the box to double their lead. Morecambe looked a new side at the start of the second, working the first opportunity. Town earned a penalty in the 65th as Gilpin was tripped, Charley Higgs slotted home from the spot on his return from injury. Captain Ryan Barnett rounded off the game in the 87th, his first time shot finding the top left corner.
Teams:
Subs: 12 Wes Garfield, 14 Roman Allen, 15 Dan Walker, 16 Reiss Corfield, 17 Charley Higgs.
Morecambe: Oliver Jumcau, Nathan Dutton-Kay, Leif Davis, Tyler Brownsword (C), Ellis Jones, Toby Twiname, Harrison Coady, Ben Fletcher, Kyle Hawley, Kaleb Young, Henry Dorward.
Subs: Cameron Armstrong, Kai Herbert, Ben Ingham, Joe Nelligan, Ezeikel Eme.
Kick Off:
From the off the Shrimps piled men forward. In the third minute, this proved to be their downfall as Town broke forward on the counter. Ofori did well to find Mwandwe in a crowded box and Lafumpa took a clever touch before slotting into the bottom left to give Town the early lead.
The pair almost linked up for a second in the sixth. This time Mwandwe broke down the right beating his man for pace. Breaking into the box with a step over, he looked to find Ofori with the cross which was deflected wide for a corner.
Town continued to dominate in the first fifteen minutes. Barnett did well to win the ball back in his own half before springing forwards and finding Gilpin with the pass. On the right of the box, Gilpin cut onto his left before hitting a low shot goal wards, deflected wide for a corner.
Town Doubled their lead in the sixteenth. Mwandwe did well to find Barnett on the edge of the box who set himself with a touch before cannoning a shot towards goal. Morecambe’s keeper did well to stop the shot but Ofori was quick to pounce onto the rebound and make it 2-0.
Town continued to dominate after the second goal. Gilpin was next to work an opportunity, beating his man for pace down the right before curling a nice cross toward Mwandwe at the far post. Mwandwe couldn’t grow enough to steer the header back across goal but the move highlighted Town’s attacking intent.
A long through ball from Huntbach set Barnett on the run in behind the defence. Barnett did well to find Mwandwe on the edge of the box who’s shot curled just wide of the post. Moments later, Barnett did well to again find space whilst drifting left. He looked to pull a low ball across the face of goal to Gilpin, the cross cut out by the last man.
As the half drew to and end Mwandwe did well to time his run and break through on goal. He saw the keeper coming out and looked to dink it over the top of him, the shot just wide.
Half Time: Town 2 Morecambe 0
Morecambe were first to work a chance in the second. A well worked piece of football saw the opportunity to shoot but saw the shot blocked wide. The resulting corner was cleared.
Mwandwe came alive in the early stages of the second as Town looked to break forward on the counter. In the 52nd minute he used his pace to beat his man on the left before curling a good cross towards Ofori, his header just off target.
Substitution: Charley Higgs returned from injury to replace Tyrone Ofori in the 60th minute.
Moments after coming onto the pitch, Higgs did well to hold up the ball on the edge of Morecambe’s box before slipping Barnett in-behind down the right. Barnett’s touch let him down but he did well to recover, earning a corner.
Town won a penalty in the 65th minute. Fantastic link up play down the right between Barnett and Gilpin lead to Aaron breaking into the box before being brought down. Higgs stepped up to take the penalty, slotting into the bottom left to make it 3-0.
Substitution: Reiss Corfield came back from injury to replace Lafumpa Mwandwe in the 68th minute.
Morecambe were next to come close. Linking up well down the right, attacker Eme turned to shoot on the edge. Atkinson was alert and did well to catch the shot despite its pace.
Moments later Atkinson was called into action again as Eme did well to get in-behind Huntbach. Atkinson saw the move early and rushed of his line to collect the ball in an intelligent piece of goalkeeping.
Town weren’t holding back though; Barnett broke forward down the right in the 77th before looking to pull the ball back across goal to Gilpin. The ball was cut out but fell to Kian Taylor on the edge of the box. Taylor looked to shoot but was fouled in the process. Josh Agbozo came forward to take the resulting free kick, curling it just over the top right corner.
Substitution: Aaron Gilpin made was for Dan Walker in the 80th minute.
Town pressed on in the last ten. Corfield and Barnett linked up well on the right before Barnett’s curling cross towards Taylor in the box was cleared.
The final blow came in the 87th minute when Charlie Higgs picked up possession on the left before playing a floating ball across field to Corfield. Reiss took the ball down perfectly allowing him to drive into the box before cutting back and teeing up Barnett on the edge. The skipper took the shot first time with his left foot finding the top left corner.
Morecambe were deflated and Town pressed on in the final moments. Corfield outpaced his man on the right before looking for Higgs with the cut back but the ball was cleared. Barnett then did well to cut in from the left and find the space to shoot. His effort drifting just wide of the top left.
Full Time: Shrewsbury Town 4 Morecambe 0