U18 Professional Development League Cup, Group D
Saturday 16 October 2021
Played at Shirecliffe
SUFC 2021/22 Game #16
Sheffield United 2 v Stoke City 1
The Championship
Saturday 16 October 2021
SUFC 2021/22 Game #17
My first trip to Shirecliffe since March 2020. My first U18 game since January 2020 (that was at The Lane). My first U18 game at Shirecliffe since July 2019 (that was a friendly). My first competitive U18 game at Shirecliffe since April 2019. I could go on.
I walked up to the car park barrier with a spring in my step.
"Can I come in as a pedestrian?"
"You'll have to wait until quarter to, unless you're in a car."
Brrrrm Brrrrm
(mimes steering wheel)
Waits
Another guy is waiting. A car pulls up at barrier. His son is driving. He gets in the car at the barrier. And is driven into Shirecliffe. I am now the only Carbon Neutral show in town. Car after car arrives & is waved in. Don't despair dear reader. Good news arrives via Walkie & indeed Talkie.
They're letting me in at twenty to. Welcome back, Phil.
An exciting game. Which, honestly, I thought Coventry just about shaved. But, the first battling comeback of the day, saw a late equaliser for The Blades. We're in a group with Coventry City, Peterborough United & Ipswich Town. Get through that to the knockouts.
United set up as 4-4-2.
Callum Hiddleston with the gloves.
Sachdev, Pitan, Anderson, Angell
Staniland, Dickinson, Peck, Trialist
and Kurtis Havenhand & Billy Blacker up top.
(Incidentally, the Trialist was NOT Fernandinho Macedo, the youngster allegedly/apparently signed recently. He was here at Shirecliffe, but in a Trackie on the sides.)
(Incidentally, incidentally Del Geary spent a lot of the first half over on the "non dugout" side, the side Trialist #11 was playing. Maybe to have a very close look and/or give close hand encouragement.)
(Incidentally, incidentally, incidentally Jack Lester & Paul Heckingbottom were also watching.)
Toby Trialist was involved in the very first move. He fed Sydie Peck who put a great ball diagonally into the box. Charlie Staniland & the Cov Keeper were both very brave going for the ball. A big coming together. And the keeper did very well to keep it out.
Both players needed lengthy sponging. When the keeper got up, he was looking groggy AND limping. Staniland only lasted another ten before he was subbed (holding the back of his head I thought) like for like by Theo Williams.
I felt Coventry had the best of the early sorting out. They put United under a lot of pressure at corners. But, the closest effort came from George Dickinson on 19. Peck shaped to cross a free kick from the left. But, actually just rolled it square to George. His low, powerful shot scuffed the keeper's right post.
On 25, Havenhand hit a lovely cross field ball to Timmy Trialist. He was brought down a few yards outside the box in the inside left channel. Sydie Peck (again) shaped to take the free kick. An accurate, powerful, dipping strike pulled a great tip over the bar save from the keeper.
Now. Here's where the Carrier Bag Firm close observance & notice shit skills kicked in. Peck had done the Jordan Hallam & was effectively on ALL attacking dead balls. Having made the keeper save from a powerful RIGHT foot strike. He jogged over to take the resulting right wing corner as an inswinger with his LEFT foot.
Bookmark that one. Favourite it. Whatever it takes. We'll be dragging that Factoid out as Sydie's Blades career develops.
Overall, Peck was very busy. In the first half, he was more of an attacking midfielder. Linking very well with his next door neighbour Dickinson. I noticed in the second half, he had spells at the base of midfield, taking it off the keeper & centre backs.
Coventry were still very much in it. But, United had a great chance on 41. Dickinson knocked a powerful & intelligent header from midfield right into the path of Billy Blacker. BB shrugged off his man, took a touch. But hit it wide when it looked easier to score.
Just after HT, the Sky Blues (I'm loving the retro colours on the collar by the way) took a just about deserved lead. I suspect it was a training ground move. A central free kick was shaped for a shot, but actually rolled wide left. United were a little unprepared and couldn't close down the cross. PPP Pin Point Perfect. The Covvo Kid has got high, hung long, and placed the header right in the top corner. Big Big Ten Man Pile On Celebration in the corner as Sander Berge, Burke, Regan Slater, Kyron Gordon & Jake Eastwood looked through the windows of the First Team Building.
That lead lasted about 20 minutes. Our equaliser looked lucky to me. I've reviewed the Vids. And I did slightly misread it. A clearance hit Peck (I thought it was the keeper, but turned out to be a defender). The rebound just dropped into the bottom corner.
Coventry went two one up on 75. It looked like it might have been one of those - he's really offside, but the defender has played it - goals that are all the rage these days. It all happened very quickly. Basically, a muffed clearance. Followed by a great defence splitting pass & a lovely calm finish.
As is the case in U18 football, these kids are driven, with a big D. There had been a bit of handbags near the end & there was clearly going to be a whack of added time. United pressed & pressed & pushed more n more fellas forward. That happens organically. None of them look to be the bench for - shall I go up - instructions. They'd fucking ignore what Geary says anyway. And he knows it.
They just want the equaliser. And they wander forward like lovely, cuddly zombies. My watch said 90 +5. My headcount said six red n white shirts chasing it down. Goalies colliding with defenders. Attackers colliding with Goalies. Under control. Loose. Rebounds. Billy Blacker. Two each.
And, we're not done. Remember him, the Keeper, colliding with Staniland in Minutes Three. He's stayed down after the goal. Required yet more lengthy extra sponging. Cov have used all their Subs. His mate has had to pull off his yellow jersey and put it on himself. The game restarts at 90 +14. And goes on for a minute or two before, finally, we get to go to The Lane. Well, not Berge and them lot obvs.
Abbeydale Brewery have ooommmppphhhed up their flagship American Pale, Heathen. To celebrate their 25th. (I'm an Abbeydale S8er lad as it goes). Mosaic Hops pushed in there in three different formats. And they've Cryo'd it. Pellets of all the best bits of the Hop. They've concentrated the Lupulin. Think of it as Hop Crack.
I'm afraid that made it all feel a bit fierce & harsh at first. Once become acclimatised, it gentles out a bit. Even some tropical fruit lingering.
Abbeydale Brewery, Cryo Heathen on Keg at 5%.
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