[Archived] Match Report: Afc Fylde 5 - 1 Blackburn Rovers Under 21's

[Kamy100]

Parsonblue's match report from the under 21's game last night:

Tuesday 4^th August 2015 – Pre-Season Friendly

AFC Fylde 5 v 1 Blackburn Rovers Under-21

AFC Fylde (1) 5

Wilson 27, Charles 65, Rowe 76, Whittington 78, Rowe 90

First Half Team:

Matt Urwin; Caspar Hughes, Joe Gregory, Tom Hannigan, Adam Sumner; Joey Mullen, Brad Barnes, Trialist; Cory Bent, Josh Wilson, Danny Lloyd.

Second Half Team:

Matt Urwin; Jake Gregory, Dom Collins, Josh Langley, Carnan Dawson; Trialist, Trialist; Dion Charles, Josh Wilson (Joe Whittingham 67), Richie Allen; Danny Rowe.

Manager: Dave Challinor

Blackburn Rovers Under-21 (1) 1

Forrester 16

Max Simonsazzi; Connor Thomson, Sam Lavelle, Scott Wharton, Mark Edgar (Devarn Green 28); Connor Mahoney (Modou Cham 77), Joe Grayson, David Carson, Jack Doyle; Jordan Preston, Anton Forrester (Sam Joel 60)

Subs not used: Ryan Crump (gk), Luke Wall, Dean Rittenberg.

Referee: Mr. J. Mainwaring

Bookings: None

Attendance: 321

The Under-21’s successful pre-season campaign came to an end with a hugely disappointing display in their final game before the League programme begins next week. Having taken the lead after just sixteen minutes, the Rovers youngsters were pegged back before the break and then completely overwhelmed after the interval as AFC Fylde lived up to their billing as favourites to take the Vanarama National League North title.

The Rovers, with Italian trialist Max Simonsazzi in goal, were given any early warning that it was going to be anything but an easy night when Cory Bent raced into the area and fired across the face of the goal. Minutes later, the lively Bent’s cross was fumbled by Simonsazzi and the ball fell invitingly at the feet of Danny Lloyd. However, by the time he got his shot away Simonsazzi had recovered his position to make an excellent save.

Gradually, the Rovers began to play their way back into the game and on sixteen minutes they took the lead with a well worked goal. The Rovers attacked down the left and good work by Jack Doyle, playing on the left of midfield, played in Forrester in the area and the striker took a touch and then blasted the ball past former Rover Matt Urwin into the back of the net.

Three minutes later Forrester might well have had a second but delayed his shot after Jordan Preston had played him into the area. However, Forrester kept possession and worked the ball out to Connor Mahoney on the right and he squared the ball back into the centre for David Carson to meet it but his effort flew high over the bar.

At this stage the Rovers looked quite bright and Simonsazzi restored his confidence when came to claim a cross under pressure.

However, on twenty-seven minutes the home drew level with a splendid goal from Josh Wilson who picked the ball up on the edge of the area and blasted an unstoppable thunderbolt past Simonsazzi.

The Rovers responded with another effort from Preston which Urwin saved quite comfortably. They then received another blow when Mark Edgar seemed to go over on his ankle and although he tried to continue after treatment he was replaced on twenty-eight minutes by Devarn Green. Green went to play on the left of midfield and Doyle dropped back to his familiar left-back position.

Just past the half-hour mark Mahoney played a lovely ball into Preston who mishit his shot and the ball trickled past the post. Forrester then forced a corner which came to nothing as the game settled down into a fairly even affair.

After thirty-five minutes the home side had a glorious chance to take the lead when Lloyd’s cross from the left to the opposite flank was completely missed by Doyle and Bent stuck a fierce shot against the foot of the post.

At the other end a neat inter-change of passing between Forrester and Mahoney ended with Mahoney firing wide.

Simonsazzi then did well to hold a shot from Mullen but on the brink of half time he was forced to rush from his goal as Bent split open the Rovers defence with a ball which set Mullen free and racing through on goal. As the ‘keeper came to meet him, Mullen pushed his shot narrowly wide of the post.

After the break the Rovers kept the same eleven but the home side made eight changes as they opted to utilise their entire senior squad.

The home side settled very quickly despite the multiple changes and after fifty-two minutes Carnan Dawson showed excellent control to bring the ball down in the Rovers’ area and then, in an instant, fire a well struck effort which forced an excellent save from the young Italian goalkeeper.

On the hour mark the Rovers introduced Sam Joel in place of Forrester but just five minutes later it was the home side who grabbed a deserved lead. The tricky Dion Charles turned Doyle inside out before cutting inside and rifling a shot across the goal into the opposite corner of the net with the ‘keeper well beaten. It was a wonderful piece of individual skill from the winger.

The home side then replaced the impressive Josh Wilson with Joe Whittington as they made their final change of the evening. However, the tide had well and truly turned in their favour as the Rovers defence looked increasing fragile against the pace and trickery of the Fylde front three.

On seventy-six minutes a wonderful touch and turn by Danny Rowe left Sam Lavelle floundering in his wake before he calmly placed his shot well wide of Simonsazzi and into the back of the net.

The introduction of Modou Cham for Mahoney did little to alter the course of the game and on seventy-eight minutes the home side made it four when Joe Whittington drilled the ball home with unerring accuracy from around twenty yards out.

The Rovers youngsters looked totally shell-shocked from the second-half blitz that had blown them away.

Four minutes from the end Joel had a shot which was blocked for a corner but, in truth, the Rovers had long since ceased to have any impact on the game as an attacking force.

On the stroke of time the Rovers conceded a fifth when Simonazzi came out for a ball which he was never going to reach and Lavelle got in a tangle with the result that Rowe was presented with a gift as he seemed to strike the ball against Lavelle and into the net.

There was little comfort Damien Johnson and John Filan could take from this game. Too many players were well below the standards of which they are capable. The home side employed four different wingers throughout the game and all four had the beating of the Rovers full-backs. Indeed, the pace and power of the Fylde team was hugely impressive.

The first half had been a fairly even affair with both sides having the odd chance to take the lead before the interval but after the break the defending by the Rovers turned into something of a horror show. It was also a difficult night to judge the trialist goalkeeper. Simonazzi is a youth player with Parma who could do little to stop the avalanche of goals that came his way.

[Feniscowles Blue]

There's a lad playing for our under 21 who is 16, is nowhere near the grade required and if he didn't have a certain surname then he wouldn't even be at the academy . I could show you 10 lads the same age who are light years ahead of him.

nepotism and back scratching is rife and is stunting the growth of other more talented lads who don't have the benefit of daddy's input and mates in the game. There's tonnes of examples up and down the leagues

[Husky]

I see it's looking good for the future. Blackburn Alexandra!