U18's vs. Arsenal (H) Sat 27th Apr - Match Report

Middlesbrough met ***nal in a game that had been scheduled twice before for a neutral venue (one time being the new St. Georges Park) and both times it had fallen foul to the weather. But the sun was out (in patches) and as usual so was the breeze!

***nal in their away kit settled the faster of the two sides pushing Middlesbrough down both wings with neat passing. Jack Jebb in the middle of the pitch dictated the early flow of play and wide man Anthony Jeffery set about pushing Robbie Tinkler onto the back foot.

***nal had an early opportunity when Jonathan Coleby caught the ***nal winger Jeffery. Jebb worked the ball short to Jeffery but he opened his body up to much and sliced the ball high and wide of Shane Bland’s goal.

Boro absorbed the visitor’s pressure well before trying to catch them out on the counter attack. Robbie Tinkler forward from right back lobbed the ball superbly over ***nal left back Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill, but he chose to try and square it when a shot across goal was probably the wise option.

Middlesbrough had the ball in the net from a corner, but the lineman’s flag was raised and the referee ruled it was offside. As the Boro corner was cleared Kitching and Elsdon headed it back towards the ***nal goal and as keeper Josh Vickers came out Armstrong flicked the ball over him, outmuscled the defender and slotted the ball into the back of the net. But unfortunately Armstrong was offside from the Elsdon header.

***nal though immediately put Boro on the back foot, Jeffery used his blistering seed to outpace McNab and he rounded the stranded Bland but the angle was too much and he shot over and wide.

Austin Lipman then set up Dawkins but his strike went into the side netting, Lipman himself was next to go close, he was put through by Alex Iwosi (the nephew of Jay-Jay Okocha I'm told) who was running the show for the visitors. But Bland got down well to save with his legs.

***nals pressure paid off though when the ball was picked up on the edge of the box by Glen Kamara and the Gunners midfielder with his left foot struck the ball low and hard across Bland’s goal and into the bottom corner.

GOAL ***NAL! 0-1 Kamara

Moments later ***nal had a strong shout for a penalty dismissed by the referee, Anthony Jeffery went down in the box as Keeper Bland came out and collected and had arms held high asking the ref, he was told to get up in no uncertain terms.

Boro still continued to attack on the counter but very little came their way, Thomas McAloon came close but he pulled his shot wide from just outside the 18 yard box.

***nal should have doubled their lead on the stroke of half time, a deep corner found its way to Lipman and his low bundled header was saved low down by Bland.

Half Time Middlesbrough 0 ***nal 1

Middlesbrough started the second half a lot better than the first, with their usual pressing of the opposition they stopped ***nal passing the ball around at their own pleasure. Kitching had a strike blocked after good work by McAloon.

***nal’s number 11 Tarum Dawkins started to put his stamp on the game, his flowing play allowed him to get into the Boro box on the right and drive the ball across the 6 yard box but fortunately for Boro none of the winger’s team mates kept up with his break.

Austin Lipman beat 2 men coming across the box from left to right and his low drive was kept out well by Shane Bland, Jebb was first to the rebound and his strike went wide with the goal at his mercy.

Boro Sub – Warnett off, Junior Mondal on.

Boro Sub – McAloon off, McCarthy on.

With ***nal still playing a smooth triangular passing game Boro took the game by the scruff of the neck with their more physical approach. McCarthy on as a sub made an instant impact, he ran at players and at times through players to create for his side.

***nals Ormonde-Ottewill found himself in the referee’s book for a tactical foul on the half way line to stop a Boro break.

Boro Sub – Coleby off, McGlade on.

Jeffery had a great chance to extent the ***nal lead but he fired over widely after good work from Dawkins.

Middlesbrough did have a clear chance to level, McCarthy went past his man and into the box, a little lay off found Armstrong but he leant back and spooned his shot over the bar.

***nal Sub – Dawkins off, number 12 on.

As both sides pushed in their differing ways the game went through a scrappy period, neither side creating a clear chance but both working hard to find space and counteract the other team.

McNab did well in the box to tackle Iwosi, and Fagan was strong with every Boro ball into the air.

Jack Jebb went close for ***nal after cutting in from the right onto his left foot and driving the ball over the Boro goal.

Boro had a penalty appeal of their own waved away like ***nal in the first half. Good work on the left by Junior Mondal and Dylan McGlade saw the young Irishman cross, the ball bounced through to McCarthy and he controlled it before seeming to be tripped. The ref didn’t agree though.

***nal Sub – Jeffery off, Mavididi on.

***nal Sub – Iwobi off, Number 14 on.

Kamara got himself a silly yellow for kicking the ball away as ***nal started to struggle under the Boro pressure.

Boro had one final chance to level, a long punt up field by McNab saw Fagan win the header but the ***nal keeper had already committed himself. As the ball fell to Armstrong he struck it keeper stranded, but it went over.

Full Time Middlesbrough 0 ***nal 1

Boro; Bland, Tinkler, McNab, Griffiths, Weledji ©, Elsdon, Kitching, Coleby (McGlade), Armstrong, McAloon (Junior Mondal), Warnett (McCarthy).

Unused: Fryer (GK), Wheatley.

Thoughts/Man of the Match

Matthew Elsdon played and did well today, he is an U16 who has a scholarship for next year where he will be full time. He didn’t look out of his depth and like all of the U16s this season has fitted in brilliantly.

Coleby was tidy in midfield, tracking back and getting a foot in to break up attack after attack. Passing the ball safely he grew as the game went on.

Man of the match in his short spell as sub for me was Scott McCarthy, his style is very direct and his pace changed the game for Boro. He will clearly run through a brick wall for the side and caused the ***nal back line no end of issues.

Images from the game