 Under 18s draw on the road
13th October, 2009
Ashton United 3-3 Fleetwood Town
North West Youth Alliance
Sunday 13th October 2009
By Mark Bowley
With so many of the Under 18s now playing regular Reserve team football the squad for this away fixture was selected mainly from Fleetwood’s development programme and they all put in a “good shift.”
Unfortunately this was the proverbial games of two halves with the strong wind making playing conditions extremely difficult. Fleetwood elected to play against the wind in the first half and against a much larger and stronger opposition they were holding their own until the final fifteen minutes of the first half when a very speculative effort from the Ashton striker was carried in the wind over the Town Keeper and nestled in the top corner. Ashton took a well deserved two goal advantage into the break and the Fleetwood players looked tired and beaten.
Town went out for the second half with the instruction that they had to work much harder and pass the ball more and to their credit that exactly what they did and Ashton struggled to cope. Man of the match Mick Booth, who had worked extremely hard in the first half got more support from his team mates and really started to dominate the game. It was his excellent work that gave Fleetwood their first goal when his cross was bundled over the line by Liam Beaumont. Town then seemed to warm to the task and despite the worsening weather conditions, some of their play, especially down the right flank where Steve Miller was outstanding was superb.
It was Booth himself that got the equaliser and it appeared to everyone that Town would go on to win the game. However totally against the run of play and with probably their only shot of the second half Ashton again took the lead with a brilliant effort from well outside the area that gave Town’s keeper absolutely no chance.
Credit to Towns young players they didn’t let this set back get them down and they continued to press forward and within minutes Booth got his second.
Fleetwood did have the ball in the net again only to see it ruled out for offside and when a penalty decision for a blatant hand ball, when the Ashton defender made the best save of the game was not given, Fleetwood knew they would have to settle for a point.
After the game team manager Mick Sumner said “In the first half we were very poor. Our players were intimidated by the older and stronger Ashton team and we didn't work hard enough to close players down. However in the second half we took the game to them and at the end we were disappointed not to come away with all three points.
Man of the Match, Mike Booth (pic)
Caldwell Miller Cawley Bennett White Beaumont Bartholomew Wynn Booth Gunn Walker |
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Fleetwood Town vs Bolton Wanderers XI
Friday 30th July 2010 Kick-off 7.45pm
Jim's Sports Bar open 6pm for all supporters
Adults £7
Concessions £4
Programme £1.50
Codcast Caley Thistle
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