U18 Professional Development League National Final
Saturday 21 May 2022
Played at Shirecliffe
SUFC 2021/22 Game #77
The season ends with Sheffield United Under 18 winning the U18 PDL National Title. A Title they last won in 2016/17. Not only that, they went the whole season unbeaten in League games. By my reckoning, there are still three National Football Youth League games left. But, I doubt I'll be at those. So, I'm basically calling time on my own SUFC 2021/22 season at 77 games.
A remarkable season for the Under 18 Blades. Only lost twice all season. Both of those were in Cup games - one against Everton at Goodison Park. Unbeaten in the league - P23, W15, D8.
Play Offs P2, W2
PDL Cup P3, W0, D2, L1
FA Youth Cup P2, W1, L1
All told - P30 W18, D10, L2
Going to U18 games has proved tricky, as usual, for the Carrier Bag Firm. League games tend to kick off on Saturday mornings, so an inevitable clash with first team games/trips. I did seven games in total. Two League games, 1 PDL Cup, 2 Play Off & both Youth Cup games. During all that, I managed to harvest one new ground. On 29 January, the U18s won 2-1 away at Peterborough United U18 at 11am. And, the first team won 2-0 away, also at Peterborough United at half five. With the intervening period spent in The Wonky Donkey MicroPub, that was a great double header day. And a ground tick at Peterborough United's sponsor named idverde Training Ground.
The Young Blades previously won this Professional Development League National Title in 2016/17. Having been beaten in the final the previous year - by Charlton.
There is a bit of CBF nerd debate about how to describe the level of this league. Under 23 Academy football has two pyramid divisions at Premier League 2 (Division 1 & Division 2), each with 14 Cat 1 Academies. So, there are 28 teams "above' our level. Therefore, I usually refer to our U23 Academy as - Division 3.
The structure is slightly different in Under 18 Academy football. Where there are two parallel divisions at U18 Premier League (North & South), each with 14 Cat 1 Academies. So, still 28 teams "above" our level. But, as they're parallel at U18, rather than pyramid at U23, there's a case for describing our U18 team as - Division 2.
Nerd debate. This National Final was Category 2, 28 teams above this level, I'm sticking with - Division 3.
Back to 2016/17. We finished that regular season P28, W19, D6, L3. If you include play offs, finals and other cup games, Jordan Hallam topped the scoring charts with 20 goals from 20 starts (and two subs). Tyler Smith was next in line, 10 goals from 18 starts (1 sub).
Compare that with this season. Will Lankshear has scored 21 goals from 18 starts (and 3 subs). Sydie Peck has scored 11 in 18 starts, Josh Smith 10 in 24 starts (1 sub), Theo Williams 10 in 26 starts. I am, of course, celebrating Jordan, Tyler, Will, Sydie, Josh & Theo, and their goalscoring records. But, I am also introducing a note of reality & feet on the ground-ed-ness. Let's not get carried away with the current cohort just yet. Their scoring record is no better than their previous (didn't make it with The Blades) predecessors. Jordan Hallam was a scoring machine. I loved watching him play.
We used 34 players in that "Division 3 winning" U18 side of 2016/17. Four are still at the club - Jean Belehouan, George Broadbent, Angelo Cappello & Rhys Norrington-Davies. We've used 30 players this season. The Big Hitters have been;
Tom Angell, 29 starts
Theo Williams, 26 starts
Josh Smith, 24 starts, 1 sub
Chaz Staniland, 21 starts, 3 sub
Levis Pitan, 21 starts, 1 sub
Will Lankshear has also scored 6 U23 goals - making a 27 goal season. Today, Charlton's Daniel Kanu opened the scoring in the 6th minute. Charlton's Twitter feed claimed that was his 41st goal of the season. (Although I make it 39). Sorry that's just another bit of feet on the ground-ed-ness. Other clubs have big scorers in their system, it's not just us.
The usual 4-4-2 set up for the U Eighteens. Callum Hiddleston in goal. Pitan & Potter as centre backs. Sai Sachdev out right. Tom Angell out left. Chaz Staniland, Oliver Arblaster, Sydie Peck & Josh Smith across midfield. Theo Williams & Lankshear up top.
It must be a bit of a toss up between Smith & Williams for either up top or midfield. Williams is very good at coming towards the ball, controlling it well and finding a way to turn and get ahead of his man.
As I've said, it was Charlton who opened the scoring. A loose ball fell perfectly for Kanu. But, he had a LOT to do. The skill was superb as his powerful left foot strike flew past Cal on his right side & nestled inside the post.
But, after that, I did feel United were the better side. Not dominant, but better. A good deal of possession. Although a bit scrappy at times. And many efforts restricted to long range. Sydie Peck in particular was very busy just outside the area. And it felt like shot after shot was just flashing wide.
On 26, Sai Sachdev strode forward with the ball at his feet & cut inside a bit. He got a great shot off which was pushed wide. Straight away, some great work by Josh Smith (on the right) fed Williams. He turned his man, again, and laid it to Arblaster. His powerful shot hit the foot of the post.
On 32, a United player was fouled and ended up five yards inside the box. But both Ref & Lino were adamant the foul had been five yards outside the box. Some tumble that. Sydie Peck's free kick was a clever chip affair, but it lacked any power & The Addicks keeper touched it over.
At times, I felt The Blades had been relying too much on hopeful balls, often over the top, into Theo Williams.
A very bright Blades start to the second half saw Arblaster test the keeper. On 57, Arblaster burst through the inside left channel & ended up on the deck. It was the other end of Shirecliffe to us. But, it looked a soffffffft penalty.
Lankshear's pen was pushed onto the post, but he bundled the rebound home.
United went ahead on 77. Great work on the right by Peck fed Staniland. His low cross was right in Theo's stride and he placed it into the corner for the go ahead & ultimately winning goal. Indeed, Lankshear forced a great save on 90+3. So, it might have been more.
Charlton played their part. And they'll be disappointed. Particularly with that penalty. I'm going to mention that Charlton also had that Band Of Brothers Dark Arts thing going on. A ploy previously used at Shirecliffe to create a collective identity. ALL the Charlton players were in Black Boots. Love owt like that me.
Carrier Bag Firm celebration of the silverware you say? Today we decided to Trust The List. One of the CBF Emperors devours every word of the Sheffield Campaign for Real Ale magazine Beer Matters. In particular, he notes down new pub & bar openings. In suitable moments, he gets The List out. And, we explore places we ain't explored before. Today was a suitable moment. Trust The List, it's never let us down.
The Cider Hole
Unit 1.3, Krynkl, 294 Shalesmoor, Sheffield S3 8UL
What a place. You go deep into the units. Find an otherwise unmarked staircase. Go through a door and appear BEHIND the bar. My first words to the geezer were;
"Fuck me, have we come up the wrong way?"
Mad Gaff. Wooden benches on each side. Those double as bottle stores. There's one of those stainless steel washing machine with a handle type drum things that you use for pressing out apple juice in the corner. And three massive plastic polypins. That's it. That's where the magic happens. He mangles the apples (various) there behind the bar. Pours the juice manglings into the polypins. And let's the natural yeast perform. Eventually selling it to punters who have wandered up those stairs. They had three "recipes" on offer.
Or.
You could have a tasting tray from their bottles of other artisan ciders. I went;
Wild West Abbots Leigh Fizz 2020 at 6%
Oliver's The Mayflower Fifth Voyage 2019 at 6.8%
Little Pomona Pet-Nat Poire 2020 at 6.6%
I'll happily admit I know little about Cider. So, it was great to try stuff I wouldn't normally. My fave was The Mayflower. I see it's made with the addition of ice cider. I've had Eiswein before. I assume the process is similar. The fruit (apples in this case) is harvested and pressed when it is cold & frosty. That leads to the juice being more concentrated & more concentrated with natural sugars. That gave a very pleasant fruit sweetness underpinning the shebang.
I didn't get much from the Little Pomona at first, a bit too sharp for my palette. But, fair play, it did start to mellow out into cream in the finish.
Thoroughly enjoyable. Trust The List.
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