Bakre & Sandah score in away win for Young Terriers
- Mansfield Town 1-2 Huddersfield Town Under-19s
- Goals from Hazeem Bakre & Hakeem Sandah
- Young Terriers play at Manchester City on Tuesday
Town’s Under-19 side put in a good performance to win at Mansfield Town in the EFL Youth Alliance League on Saturday morning.
George Danaher’s side showed skill at both sides of the game throughout the 90 minutes, dominating the ball and scoring two great goals in the first half before defending well and countering with threat in the second 45.
In the end, the strikes from joint top scorers Hazeem Bakre (pictured above) and Hakeem Sandah were enough to secure a well-deserved three points.
Danaher’s side started the game well at Mansfield’s RH Academy, with trialist midfielder Joshua Jackson having two early efforts following impressive passing moves.
Big centre back Archie Sheppard, fresh from his first taste of senior football through a work experience spell with Bury, came back into the team and he had our next effort, scuffing a volley wide from a right-sided corner.
Mansfield had a couple of chances on the break, with an 18th minute effort their best of the opening 45 as a half-cleared corner was returned to the box for a man to head inches wide of captain Michael Acquah’s post.
However, two goals in three minutes just before the half hour mark put Town in control.
The first, on the stroke of the 25th minute, came from a good passing move that started in the Town half through deep midfielder Dylan Helliwell. He found Jackson, who moved the ball right for full back Omari Mrisho. The 17-year-old raced on the outside of the defender before sending in a deep cross that the goalkeeper got underneath, allowing forward Bakre to head into the top corner for his seventh of the campaign.
It was 2-0 in the 28th minute courtesy of attacking midfielder Hakeem Sandah, but the goal owed much to great work from Temi Okuwa. Helliwell started the move again, winning a 50/50, with Okuwa picking up the ball inside his own half. The 16-year-old central midfielder then drove over halfway, cut infield and found Sandah’s forward run with an incisive pass that split the Mansfield defence. Hakeem steadied himself before expertly beating the goalkeeper with a shot that found the bottom corner!
Bakre almost had a second before the half ended, powering the impressive Helliwell’s cutback from the dead ball line towards goal. However, a defender did well to get back into the six yard box to make the block. The towering Sheppard got on the end of the resulting corner, only to head just wide.
There was still time for centre back Michael Parker to showcase his defensive skills, preventing a Mansfield attacker from running clear on the break by forcing him wide in impressive fashion.
Mansfield started the second half with real intent, and goalkeeper Acquah had to push a low free-kick around his left-hand post barely two minutes in.
Town held firm until the 71st minute, when a Mansfield man beat Mrisho to a cross and headed past Acquah at close range.
However, the Young Terriers held strong – and caused more issues for the hosts on the break. Helliwell had the best effort, seeing his shot cleared off the line after a cleverly worked short corner.
At the other end, substitute Freddie Fletcher made a vital late block to secure the win for his side.
This age group is back in action on Tuesday, playing a friendly at Manchester City.
Town’s team (4-2-3-1)
Michael Acquah (c); Omari Mrisho, Archie Sheppard, Michael Parker, Ajay Weston (Freddie Fletcher 71’); Dylan Helliwell, Temi Okuwa; Hakeem Sandah (Joseph Johnson, 62’), Joshua Jackson (Daniel Vost, 53’), Tyree Sanusi; Hazeem Bakre
Unused substitute
Francis Hurl
Goals
Hazeem Bakre (25’), Hakeem Sandah (28’)
Booking
Joseph Johnson (90+2’)
