Athersley Recreation 0-4 Staveley Miners Welfare

Athersley Recreation 0-4 Staveley Miners Welfare

NCEL (Premier Division)

Saturday 13th November 2021

Having not been to Barnsley for what feels like an eternity, this was my second visit here in the space of only a few days.

Following on from a trip to Oakwell to watch the Reds' U23s earlier in the week, this time the purpose of the trip was to head up to Sheerien Park and watch Athersley Recreation take on Staveley Miners Welfare in the Northern Counties East League (Premier Division).

Athersley currently find themselves rock bottom and are very much in danger of relegation back to 'Step 6' for the first time in nine years whereas Staveley are comfortable in mid-table, and despite a rally (of sorts) by the home team after half-time in this game, they were on the back foot for lengthy spells and ultimately well-beaten by the more talented team.

On a difficult pitch which looked as if it would suit studs rather than moulds, Staveley, wearing all yellow, were initially perhaps guilty of 'over-playing' and taking one too many touches at times in the midfield area as Athersley doggedly kept them at bay for the opening half-hour.

However, the hosts eventually got undone at a set-piece on 35 minutes as shambolic marking allowed Rob Worrall's far-post free-kick to be met by the head of Sam Kaye who guided the ball home from close-range. It was a simple routine, a simple finish, but such a disappointing and avoidable goal to concede due to the lackadaisical defending.

It could have got worse for Athersley just a few moments later and their blushes were spared thanks to a linesman's flag after Tomas Poole was judged to have strayed into an offside position when he put Charlie Bell's cross into the net amidst another spell of forced pressure.

Staveley 'keeper Luke Chadwick (on loan at Inkersall Road from Doncaster Rovers) was a virtual spectator for much of the first period. Barring a low shot from the edge of the area which was straight at him (and comfortably saved) and a few long goal-kicks clearances, the youngest player on the pitch hadn't had much to do up to this point. 

Nevertheless, he played his part in the Trojans making it 2-0 just before half-time.

A strange combination of sunlight suddenly creeping out of nowhere and shining directly into his goalmouth (and with the floodlights already on because it was rather dark) meant the baseball cap was required and having just put it on, he launched a long free-kick downfield and straight towards the edge of Athersley's penalty area. The danger wasn't cleared at all convincingly and the ball bobbled around momentarily before Declan Howe smashed it past the 'keeper to add a degree of comfort to the scoreline.

That goal meant Howe - otherwise known as 'the big fat f**ker' (as one Athersley fan described him after what can best described as a 'forward's tackle' earlier in the half), was up to a dozen goals for the campaign and he nearly added another strike right on the half-time whistle with a rasping strike from distance which just went over the upright.

Despite being mid-table, Staveley have had a few capitulations recently - the biggest of which is also their most recent as they led 3-0 but lost 4-3 to Eccleshill United only last weekend.

In the early stages of the second half in this game, there were fleeting fears that another might be on the cards because (as a team) they switched off, allowed Athersley to get on top and start dictating play and struggled to repeat the way in which they did things well during the first 45 minutes.

Had Athersley scored at any point up to around the hour mark then it would probably have resulted in a very different type of contest with plenty of 'Gung Ho' pressure in the latter stages.

The hosts certainly had their chances too - rattling the woodwork from a narrow angle within five minutes of the re-start before Chadwick got down low to tip a shot wide at the expense of a corner. Staveley were also saved by the offside flag in another instance, Chadwick made a couple more good saves and useful catches from balls into the box, and quite a few harsh words were exchanged in order to give those wearing yellow the proverbial 'boot up the backside' they needed.

After this shaky period of sloppiness, Staveley eventually got their act together again and any fears of another capitulation were extinguished altogether when Poole showed nifty footwork and movement inside the area - turning well and then firing home to make it 3-0 on 66 minutes. Goodnight Athersley!

The last 20 minutes saw plenty of play in and around the midfield area but the visitors looked much more assured, confident and in command again by this point. The scoring was completed when Howe burst into the box and finished with aplomb on the brink of injury-time - thus grabbing his 13th goal this season which means he's very much still amongst the handful of prolific and regular goalscorers in the NCEL (Premier Division). Not at all bad for a 'big fat f**ker'!

The result also meant Luke Chadwick kept another clean-sheet and, despite being far busier after half-time than before it, he looked confident and composed in what he was required to do. His distribution was good, he kept a few shots out, claimed the ball well and also wasn't afraid to communicate with his backline and dish out instructions when it was necessary. It was good to hear so many people talking positively about the impact he's made and how he's both performed and settled in during his loan spell to date and long may it continue because he's doing people proud.

Next: Doncaster Rovers (U18s) vs Rotherham United (U18s) in the FA Youth Cup Second Round.

Scunthorpe United 2-3 Doncaster Rovers

Scunthorpe United 2-3 Doncaster Rovers
EFL Trophy
Tuesday 9th November 2021

There are few better feelings in football than when players you've watched progress and develop from a young age make their professional debuts and that's precisely what happened here as Tavonga Kuleya, Will Hollings and Jack Goodman made their first ever appearances for Doncaster Rovers.

The trio were amongst seven current youth teamers included in the matchday squad which, in addition to five other academy graduates, meant a total of 12 current of former youth team players were involved - the largest quantity for any first team game since the Rovers Academy relaunched in 2004 (and, having checked with Club Historian John Coyle, quite possibly ever).

Needless to say, therefore, this was a big night for everyone at DRFC.

The game wasn't just simply a dead rubber either because both teams knew they had a chance of progressing to the knockout stages along with runaway Group E winners Rotherham United.

For Rovers, the task was straightforward; avoid defeat and a place in the Last 32 was confirmed. For Scunthorpe, they needed to win by at least a four-goal margin to complete one of the unlikeliest group stage comebacks in the history of the competition and progress. A Scunny win but by a three-goal margin or less, meanwhile, would put Manchester City's plucky U23s team into the knockout stages.

With so many injuries and absentees for a variety of different reasons, Richie Wellens, having stated it was '15' in total, also opted once again to leave out senior duo Ed Williams and Omar Bogle - this despite the fact they're fit and available for selection. You've got to wonder the true merits of keeping two players in enforced-isolation when numbers are so low and results have been utterly atrocious this season and whether it'd be more beneficial to just swallow his pride and re-integrate them in the group. Nevertheless, their absences did at least pave the way for a couple more youngsters to get their first ever taste of a first team matchday.

Scunthorpe also made six changes to their starting xi from the team that was beaten by quite a different-looking Rovers in the FA Cup First Round on Saturday, with some of their own academy graduates amongst the substitutes such as Cameron Wilson who put in a great performance (which possibly went a long way to him earning his first-year pro) when Iron's U18s won 4-2 at Donny back at the start of this year.

Rovers began the game aggressively and positively and reaped the rewards of their energetic start, albeit in somewhat fortuitous fashion as good initial work by Tommy Rowe, then also by Kuleya inside the box, found Rodrigo Vilca's whose deflected attempt crept past wrong-footed Iron 'keeper Rory Watson and into the net.

Tom Pugh (the younger brother of one-time DRFC youngster Joe Pugh) flashed a shot wide at the other end as Scunthorpe threatened a response five minutes later, but it was 2-0 on the quarter-hour mark when Vilca burst away on a counter-attack and threaded a ball through to Joe Dodoo who retained his composure to finish.

At this point, Donny were playing some neat and attractive football - many would say arguably their best at any point this season given that quite a few performances have been horrific, and Scunthorpe's chances of progression (considering they now needed to score six goals) was slim to none.

The Iron weren't going to meekly surrender under the watchful eyes of their new manager Keith Hill, and they spurned a big chance to get back in the game just past the half-hour mark. Aaron Jarvis got in-behind the Rovers' defensive line and was always the favourite to latch onto a floated through ball ahead of Rovers 'keeper Louis Jones who did the right thing in coming off his line and outside his area to narrow the angle. Jarvis' first touch forced him wide when, in hindsight, he might have been better poking it goalwards and as the Donny defence managed to scamper back into position, the chance petered out - had it resulted in a goal it may well have changed the course of the game.

Scunny applied more pressure in search of a route back into things. Pugh slid an inviting ball across the goalmouth which nobody could connect with in one move; Myles Hippolyte was narrowly off-target with a low drive from distance in another, and there was also a concerning moment when Devarn Green slipped and landed awkwardly on his arm/wrist when closing down Ben Blythe out wide - thus resulting in his early withdrawal from the game through injury.

The Iron had looked better in the run-up to half-time and seemed dangerous at set-pieces (of which they had a few) though Rovers began the second half by getting back on the front-foot and driving forward in search of a third goal. It almost unfolded when the excellent Lirak Hasani (who'll come out of this game with plenty of credit owing to a good performance) found Tommy Rowe whose subsequent low drive was spilled by Watson and recycled back to Vilca who clipped the crossbar.

A third then came shortly before the half-hour mark which all but put the game to bed as Dodoo received possession on the edge of the box, looked up and unleashed a thunderous drive into the bottom corner; 3-0 - and it was 'Goodnight Scunthorpe'.

Or at least it should have been...

Trailing by such a deficit, the Iron got in the ascendency but only after Branden Horton and Dodoo went close to adding to Rovers' lead with efforts a few minutes apart.

The game seemed flat; the result beyond any reasonable doubt and, at times, Scunthorpe had no other choice but to pass backwards as Rovers' shape remained good leading into the final quarter-of-an-hour when Hollings replaced Kuleya for his professional debut which was closely followed by Goodman coming on for Dodoo (and thus becoming the seventh youngest player EVER to feature for Doncaster Rovers at 16 years and 233 days).

Alex Wolny also 'got the nod' and was in the process of getting unchanged when things began to unravel in spectacular fashion. Jones had already done well to spring off his line and close down a clean-through Hippolyte in order to protect a clean-sheet which he deserved before Scunthope finally grabbed something to show for their efforts when Ryan Loft's dink found the net on 88 minutes.

Wolny was in his full kit and still waiting to come on when, incredibly, Jake Scrimshaw turned goalscorer to make it 3-2 - heading home from a corner to set-up three anxious minutes of injury-time. And for poor old Wolny, it meant his professional debut would have to wait until another time.

The drama wasn't yet completed though. Rovers' naivety in the final few minutes was evident and it wasn't helped by conceding two silly free-kicks inside their own half which allowed Scunthorpe, sensing blood at this point to force penalties, to put balls into the box.

In one instance when they did so, the ball ended up in the back of the net - but a re-take was ordered which spared Rovers' blushes (and even still, it wouldn't have counted anyway as the linesman's flag was up). The second attempt was claimed by Jones before another, from a similar position around a minute later, was partially-cleared away and met with the full-time whistle.

Overall, it was a convincing win for Rovers - one which should have been a lot more straight-forward than what ultimately proved to be, but they're still in the hat for the Round Two draw which takes place this weekend.

There were some good positives put in by individuals who've come through the academy as Ben Blythe looked every bit like a mature left-footed centre-back which I know he can be and performed well - carrying out his duties in a composed fashion; Lirak Hasani was industrious and hard-working and should come out of this game with a large amount of credit, and Branden Horton showed plenty of energy, desire and drive and on another occasion might have even bagged his first professional goal.

Added to the qualities showed by Tommy Rowe, Matt Smith, Rodrigo Vilca and Joe Dodoo, amongst others, who complimented the youngsters well, it meant it was actually enjoyable to watch at times.

As a competition, the EFL Trophy isn't without its critics (especially amongst lower league fans) and there are plenty of naysayers about who are quick to ridicule or dismiss the competition - often just because it nowadays includes U23s teams from Premier League clubs.

Regardless though of whether it's Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham or these lads, every player in the world who has ever played professional football will be immediately able to recall their first senior appearance and the thoughts/feelings that went with it - and I've got no doubts whatsoever that the memories of this game will be cherished and last for a lifetime for the young lads who were involved.

So this competition has value to them, along with loads of other lads throughout the country, and the naysayers ought to remember that when they next call the competition 'pointless' or 'meaningless' and throw a wobbly or threaten to boycott it - especially if they're a DRFC fan wishing to see young players emerge, progress and become part of the first team.

It was also brilliant to catch up with Harry Jessop and Fin Shrimpton beforehand - two players at Scunthorpe who although they weren't playing, still had to report for duty. Both are top lads with top class attitudes; absolute diamonds in terms of what a manager would want personality-wise, and they've got to where they are right now by sheer hard graft and absolute determination.

I'd be just as happy to see both of them get that lucky break (which every player needs at some stage) and then go on to forge sustained and enjoyable careers for themselves and I wish them luck with everything.

As always, I'll always be checking every week to see how they get on - good luck lads!

Team: Louis Jones, Kyle Knoyle, Tom Anderson, Ben Blythe, Branden Horton, Lirak Hasani, Matt Smith, Tommy Rowe, Rodrigo Vilca, Joe Dodoo (Jack Goodman), Tavonga Kuleya (Will Hollings). Unused Subs: Alex Wolny, Jack Raper, Alex Fletcher, Ben Bottomley, Corie Cole.

Former scholars round-up (09/11/21)

An unlikely scorer enjoying his American adventure; a 'Team Of The Season' inclusion in Australia and plenty of other lads scoring for fun closer to home - here's the latest round-up on the whereabouts of various one-time Doncaster Rovers youth team players!

Starting in Australia, Jordan Tucker has impressed many over the past year or so with his accomplished performances at full-back for South West Queensland Thunder. Along with scoring a 'Goal Of The Season' contender against Wynnum Wolves, he was recently included in the 'Team Of The Season' for the Queensland Premier League (which is the third tier in Australia) on the back of an impressive season where he was pretty much an ever-present. In total, he featured 24 times as his SWQ Thunder team reached the Play-Offs but were beaten 4-1 by Brisbane City in the Final.

Jordan Tucker features in the 'Team Of The Season' after his efforts at SWQT.

His fellow Australian, Nathan Dimou, has also just finished his first full campaign back at Adelaide Comets. To my understanding, despite topping the National Premier League (South Australia Section) table at the end of the regular season, a gut-wrenching penalty shoot-out defeat to cross-city rivals Adelaide City in the Play-Off Final meant they missed out on actually winning the title.

I haven't been able to find out specifically how many games Nathan played as information is often difficult to come by and haphazard, but he did make a handful of appearances (at least) - including one during August when he was potentially part of the youngest ever centre-back pairing to keep a clean-sheet (against Croydon Kings) in NPL history.

On the other side of the globe, Josh Clemitson has enjoyed a blistering start to his time at Aquinas College for whom he's established himself as a regular.

The defender-midfielder, a Youth Alliance title winner at DRFC in 2019/20, has bagged twice in the past month. His first goal came in a 2-0 win at Rochester and he was then on target the day before Halloween as Aquinas ran riot against Concordia and hammered their opponents 5-1.

Other ex-scholars in America at present include Lewis Scattergood who is enjoying a rich vein of form at Stetson University. The frontman has bagged four goals in his last eight outings - including a match-winner against Florida Atlantic and the opener versus Bellarmine, and is certainly doing everything he possibly can to impress everyone!

Furthemore, James Morris got his latest goal for Seattle Seahawks in a 3-2 victory over UTRGV and has weighed in with a couple of assists (against Utah Valley and Air Force) in recent weeks. Junior Smith is nearing a return from injury as he gets ready to start his career at Eastern Florida State College and revealed he likes to play chess in his spare time on his Player Profile... interesting indeed!

Josh Clemitson playing for Aquinas (Photo: @AQMensSoccer).

Back in Doncaster, Jack Watson's injury-enforced absence at NCEL (Division One) promotion hopefuls Rossington Main has paved the way for Myron Gibbons' arrival at Oxford Street and it'd be an understatement to say that he's 'hit the ground running' and impressed a lot of people.

One of the paceiest players ever to grace the Rovers youth set-up, 'Gibbo' bagged six goals in his first four appearances for Rozzo - including a hat-trick against Stocksbridge Park Steels in the Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup on a night which also saw right-back Elliott Walker return to the club for whom he played last season. Another of Gibbons' strikes came in a comeback win at Swallownest. The turnaround on that occasion was completed thanks to a dramatic injury-time winner by Conner Williamson and that goal actually fired Ben Hunter's team to top spot in NCEL (Division One) for the first time this season, although they've since been replaced at the summit by big-spending North Ferriby.

Goalkeeper Kian Johnson also kept his latest clean-sheet in a 3-0 win against promotion outsiders Harrogate Railway Athletic - meaning he's now kept registered five shut-outs in league action for Rozzo this term.

Main, however, have lost a couple of games recently and one of them was a 2-0 reverse at Retford on a day where Matt Parkin was making his debut for the hosts. The midfielder has joined Retford from Staveley Miners Welfare in search of more game-time and got his first goal in a 4-1 win over 'joke club' FC Humber United last time out.

One of the Staveley's most frequent combinations this season has been 'Charlie Bell assist; Declan Howe goal' and the pair have been at it again despite some mixed recent results. 

The duo combined for the second goal in the Trojans' 2-0 success in a re-arranged fixture with Emley at Inkersall Road on a night which saw Jamie Price skipper the visitors. In total, Howe has struck 11 times in league/cup action following further goals against Winterton Rangers, Athersley Recreation and Eccleshill United recently, whilst Bell has a string of assists and impressive individual displays to his name. Meanwhile, current DRFC youth team 'keeper Luke Chadwick has also appeared in a few more game for Staveley recently (including the aforementioned win over Emley). Striker Rieves Boocock has remained largely in and out of the line-up - partly due to Howe's continued exploits inside the penalty box.

Declan Howe beats a couple of defenders as Charlie Bell watches on.

October also saw numerous one-time former youth team players compete in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying where, collectively, they had mixed success rates.

Having broken their own club record just by reaching this stage, Pontefract Colliers earned a credible 0-0 draw with FC Halifax Town in a game which saw Scott Brown come off the bench and receive a red card for a goal-preventing professional foul in the dying minutes. He was on the bench for replay at The Shay, three days later, but there was to be no fairytale ending for his Ponte team-mates as Halifax triumphed 1-0 at the second time of asking courtesy of a 65th minute winner.

Jack McKay also endured an afternoon to forget against his old employers as Chesterfield ran out comfortable 4-0 winners against Curzon Ashton. McKay, who made around two dozen appearances in his two-and-a-half year stint with the Spireites, spent the full game on the bench and watched on as his former partner in crime, none other than Liam Mandeville, bagged his only Chesterfield goal to date this season. McKay has also recently experienced a change of manager as Steve Cunningham was surprisingly dispensed with in the aftermath of this game (allegedly for talking to AFC Telford United about the vacant managerial post in Shropshire). He's been replaced by Adam Lakeland in the dugout and McKay went a long way to impressing him as he got one of Curzon's two goals in a comeback 2-2 draw with Spennymoor Town. 

There was FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round success for Shane Temple - a striker who came on trial and made a big impression in a couple of games for the youth team towards the end of last season. The 18-year-old netted for AFC Sudbury in a 3-1 win over Dartford - thus helping Sudbury become the lowest-ranked side to reach the First Round proper. Their reward was a tie against local rivals Colchester United which was shown live on BBC One, but sadly they succumbed to a 4-0 defeat in a game where he played just under an hour before being substituted.

Lewis Cunningham, meanwhile, was an unused sub as York City needed a replay to overcome plucky Morpeth Town to reach Round One. The left-back was again on the bench (for the seventh time this season) as the Minstermen exited the competition at the weekend by losing 1-0 at home to Buxton with the aforementioned Steve Cunningham (no relation) being the newly-appointed boss of the visitors. Lewis is still awaiting his first senior appearance but has continued his decent form at youth level and recently grabbed an assist as York's U19s won 1-0 at Darlington in the National League Youth Alliance.

Eastleigh, where Andrew Boyce is now in his fifth season, also needed a replay to overcome Folkestone Invicta (two divisions below them) to reach Round One. They're now out the FA Cup too, however, as they were beaten by Boreham Wood at the weekend - though the 32-year-old is now at least a few steps closer to reaching the landmark of 200 appearances for Eastleigh.

Shane Temple in action for Sudbury (Photo: Mecha Morton).

On the subject of landmarks/records, James Husband is fast-closing in on his 250th career appearance, whilst Paul McKay made his 75th appearance in Scottish Football as Queen Of The South drew 1-1 with Raith Rovers last time out.

Nowadays at Blackpool, Husband is currently on 248 appearances and featured most recently in the Seasiders' draw with QPR at the weekend. Good form over the past month has also seen them emerge as unlikely play-off hopefuls and they've been partly helped thanks to five goals this term by Jerry Yates - including a brace against Reading on Saturday 23rd October.

Yates was ridiculously released by Rovers and allowed to join Rotherham United when he was aged 16 and a youngster who'll be hoping to follow in his footsteps, having also made his departure from DRFC at a very young age, is Leeds United youth team striker Ben Andreucci. 

Sold to Leeds a couple of years ago, the striker recently turned 17 and has begun his Elland Road scholarship in brilliant form by scoring a brace and claiming an assist in a 5-2 win over Liverpool towards the end of September. That has been followed up with two more goals in a 5-1 rout of Newcastle United just a few days ago. 

Andreucci is certainly a name worth remembering and with international experience in Scotland and England’s youth training camps already under his belt, there are suggestions that Republic Of Ireland (whom he also qualifies for) are monitoring his progress as well.

Ben Andreucci... sold by DRFC and now scoring for Leeds at U18s level (Photo: Unknown).

A number of other ex-scholars got on the score-sheet during the past few weeks.

Michael Carberry put in a 'Man Of The Match' performance for Bootle - scoring one and claiming an assist after his half-time introduction in a 3-0 win over Prescot Cables. Craig Nelthorpe and Alex Peterson have also bagged two goals each for Belper Town - including in the same game where they walloped Bedworth United, 5-0, and Brad Grayson struck on successive Saturdays for Gainsborough Trinity in wins over Coalville Town and Atherton Collieries. Jack Muldoon struck a brace in Harrogate Town's 6-1 demolition of Scunthorpe United before then coverting a penalty in a 2-2 draw with Tranmere Rovers - thus meaning he's now got 54 goals in 152 outings since joining Simon Weaver's team. Billy Whitehouse also ended up in the National League North 'Team Of The Week' after a great display in a 2-1 win over Farsley Celtic for whom Will Longbottom was amongst the subs.

Meanwhile, several other lads have been on the move.

James Leverton has effectively become the latest replacement at Armthorpe Welfare for ex-academy 'keeper Callum Fielding who departed for Hallam last month but is now injured on a long-term basis and needing an operation. Leverton debuted for Armthorpe against North Ferriby at the weekend, and another 'keeper to have recently found a new club is Dec Ogley who has joined Denaby United. Omar Sanyang, part of the Rovers set-up in 2017/18, has joined FC United Of Manchester on a dual-registration deal from National League North outfit Darlington - whom he joined in the summer after a successful trial.

In a quirky move back to Doncaster Rovers (of sorts anyway), even Lewis Ferguson has come out of retirement and pulled on his boots again as he's joined Travs FC who compete in the DRFC Sunday Football League. It's no doubt a move that's beneficial for all parties; the team get arguably the best winger in the division whilst he probably gets a few beers afterwards too for his troubles!

Interestingly, there's actually quite a few ex-scholars from various clubs at Travs FC including Chris Whincop, Josh Meade (who is still playing at semi-pro level for Grantham Town) and defender Brett Lucas who was at Selby Town not too long ago.

And elsewhere in a move which hasn't yet unfolded but has been mooted on the bizarre and bonkers world of the Viking Supporters Forum, Evan Fortune-West (currently playing at Thorne Colliery and part of the academy set-up when he was younger) has been compared to Jamie Vardy amidst talk of him stepping up eight divisions, and 153 places in the league ladder, to join... Doncaster Rovers!

Whilst Evan isn't a bad player by any means, it'd be one hell of a step-up and the link for that bizarre discussion can be found here if you want to read it for yourselves.

Evan Fortune-West out-jumps youth team right-back Alex Fletcher during a pre-season game.

Of the former youth teamers still on Rovers' books, both Ben Blythe and Lirak Hasani have returned from their respective loan spells at Farsley Celtic and Matlock Town to feature frequently on the bench for the first team over the past few weeks.

They'll be hoping for a start in the EFL Trophy against Scunthorpe United this week - along with both Louis Jones and Branden Horton who did his chances no harm with a 'Man Of The Match' display in Rovers' FA Cup win (also against Scunthorpe) on Saturday.

AJ Greaves will sadly be out of action for some time though as he sustained an injury which cut short his loan spell at Redditch United, whilst Liam Ravenhill has moved to AFC Telford United on the back of completing a short-term stay at Mickleover. Goalkeeper Ben Bottomley is still present every day at Cantley Park but just hasn't been on loan anywhere nor in the matchday squad in recent weeks since his stay at Frickley Athletic reached its conclusion.

Finally, here's a well-earned mention for current youth team midfielder Will Hollings who became the 64th youth team player to be included in a DRFC matchday squad when he was an unused substitute in the previously FA Cup win at Scunthorpe.

A debut for him and Tavonga Kuleya, who has now been on the bench twice, may well materialise at some point in the very near future...

Apologies as always if I've missed anyone as it's obviously sometimes difficult keeping track of various lads playing in different divisions across the world.

The next round-up will be published at the start of next month. In the meantime, feel free to click on the following links if you've missed any previous articles on former DRFC scholars which features dozens more names: October | September | August | July |.