Scunthorpe United (U18s) 5-0 Huddersfield Town (U19s)

Scunthorpe United (U18s) 5-0 Huddersfield Town (U18s)

EFL Youth Alliance (North-East Division)

Saturday 7th January 2023

Scunthorpe United’s U18s began the New Year in brilliant style as they totally walloped Huddersfield Town in this game.

In a really good performance which was as close to perfect as you’ll get at this level, there were loads of positives and decent characteristics on show - whether it be the hard-working attitude and desire to win things which was evident right the way across the team, or the bits and pieces of silky movement that were shown by a few players (Tyrell Sellars-Fleming take a bow).

The 5-0 scoreline was merited - and better still was there were five different scorers too!

From minute one, Scunthorpe looked dangerous and signalled their intentions to get high up the pitch and cause problems and although Josh Robertson should have been awarded an early penalty (come on referee!), the opener arrived on 16 minutes when Shay Larkin finished with a shot that clipped the post on its way in with Charley Strouther claiming the assist.

Harry Elliott-Bell doesn’t score many goals but wearing the No.7 shirt (and playing well in all fairness to him), he bagged the pick of the goals as he doubled the lead just past the half-hour mark. Released down the left after some more bright build up play, he accelerated away, carried the ball about 20 yards, was forced tight to the byline under pressure from a defender, but then cheekily slid his attempt through the legs of the ‘keeper to make it 2-0. Cheeky! Naughty! But what a finish!

Both scorers were then on the receiving end of late tackles, for which Huddersfield’s players were booked, as Scunthorpe remained very much on top and in control by the interval.

The next goal in the game was always going to be massively important and Sellars-Fleming almost got it just after the re-start when he brilliantly brought a ball forward under control, then exquisitely turned his man to create space, before unleashing an effort that clipped the outside of the post. The movement alone deserved plaudits; a goal on the end of it would have been fantastic but it wasn’t to be.

Less than a minute later, the Iron were indebted to Ewan Oxborough who underlined his value to this team with a fantastic reaction save after the ball dropped to a Terriers player on the edge of the six-yard box.

However, the game was soon all over as a contest as Scunny made it 3-0 - with Charlie Burden-Whittleton claiming the latest goal as he was in the right place at the right time to power the ball past the Huddersfield ‘keeper with Sellars-Fleming and Strouther (who again got the assist for this goal - top cross) both doing well in the build-up.

Whenever I’ve watched Scunthorpe this season, I’ve been impressed by their characteristics and even with the game effectively over and the points in the bag, the lads continued to demonstrate such a good attitude to stop Huddersfield from even grabbing a consolation.

Not long after Oxborough pulled off a decent save from a low free-kick, the Iron went up the other end and bagged a fourth goal; Harvey Cribb claiming this one with a header that was palmed onto the post by the ‘keeper but judged (correctly) to have crossed the line.

By this point it was a rout and the scoring  was completed in the last minute of normal time. Sellars-Fleming, seeking to add his name to the score-sheet, took a free-kick after he was fouled about 25 yards out and although the visiting ‘keeper palmed that effort away, he wasn’t able to stop Ben Pike from emphatically following up on the rebound.

So 5-0; half of the outfield team scoring and a very good performance that should have everyone buzzing with what they produced.

All the scorers will take confidence from not only their goals but what they produced within the game and the ironic thing is that three of Scunny’s best players in this really good team performance didn’t get a goal.

Tyrell Sellars-Fleming was excellent with the way he basically had his marker on toast throughout the game and tormented him with his movement, Josh Robertson epitomised everything that’s good about this team with his old school style and desire to graft his b*llocks off in midfield, and Charley Strouther (as I’ve said so many times before this season) has so many good facets to his game. He used his pace and acceleration to good effect, the fact he got two assists say a lot about the quality of his work high up the pitch, and he also whipped a ball into the box which caused carnage and led to the corner from which Harvey Cribb scored late on. This is the fifth time I’ve watched him this season and it’s the fifth time he’s made a good impression. It’s not a coincidence and if anyone reads this who wants a decent LB/LWB with decent qualities, he’s worth watching!

Defensively, Fin Abraham skippered the team well and was strong when he needed to be, Ewan Oxborough’s save at 2-0 early in the second half, shouldn’t be underestimated because it was a good save and the timing of it was also vital, and there was some much-needed match minutes for Ethan Young who offered his experience to this good, hard-working performance.

The younger lads who got onto the pitch and enjoyed minutes in the latter stages (sadly I don’t know their names) will also be pleased to have been involved and be in the spotlight too.

I can only emphasise again what a really good team performance this was. Nit-picking, there’s still a few things the lads will want to get better at (and that’s also because like any good team, they have really high standards) but when a team has players who’ll graft as much as these lads do, then you’ve always got a chance of doing well.

And lets not forget Nat Wallace and Harrison Poulter (both in lethal form during the first half of the season) weren’t involved for this game - so knows how much carnage they might have caused if they’d been involved.

The result speaks for itself! 

Impressive. Again. And no doubt HEB will be buzzing with his finish which, just thinking back to it now, makes me laugh given how good it was.