Sheffield United U18 1 v Fulham U18 2
FA Youth Cup Round 4
Wednesday 15 January 2020
Played at Bramall Lane
SUFC 2019/20 Game 48
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Man, that was a thoroughly enjoyable game. Proper Cup football. Fulham were a calm assured team. Excellent on the ultra quick counter attack. Stuck to their game plan no matter what the Young Blades chucked at them But, Del Geary & all the players who got on the park can carry their heads very high. Going a goal down on 21 minutes. Going down to ten men more or less immediately. Reshaping. Reshuffling. Clawing back into it. But, Fulham looking like they’d killed it off with another goal on 69. Then a little bit of deflected luck to bring it back to 2-1 on 83. Then ….. Everything in. Enjoyed that.
A little unusually I felt, we set up as a back three. Harvey Cullinan at CB, Kyron Gordon outside him on the right, with Tommy Williams as RWB. Gomis at LCB, with Harry Boyes outside him at LWB. Daniel Jebbison & Leo Gaxha up top. Andre Brooks in the centre of Midfield (I’ve previously thought of him as a left back or left wing back), with Harrison Neal. Zak Brunt pushed a little bit forward in midfield. Sam Kelly gloving. That lasted until 22 minutes. Seconds after we’d gone a goal down. Andre Brooks was binned for a clumsy high tackle. It did look a bit harsh, but that’s the way it goes, I thought he’d been pretty good there in midfield. Good ball winner, maybe that was Del’s devious plan to stick “a defender” in central mid.
United started at a very high intensity. Geary urging them on from the sidelines. I noticed both Gomis & Gordon overlapping. That’s in their Centre Back DNA now. Harrison Neal was buzzing around everything. Both forwards, but Jebbison in particular, settled into channel running. Leo Gaxha carved out a good chance on 13. Neal won the ball, whacked it into Jebbison’s channel. He pushed the ball across. Gaxha brought it down with his back to goal, but got a very intelligent lay off to Zak Brunt on the edge of the area. He shot just wide. I have to say, Fulham settled down & came more into it after that. United just couldn’t stay all the way in it, as that intensity died a bit. And, they nicked their first goal on 21.
Almost from the restart, Andre Brooks got himself into a tangle & ended with a clumsy high challenge. As you’d imagine, that changed everything. I presume he didn’t think he should have gone. But, as it dawned on him, the poor lad looked distraught as he raced off straight down the tunnel. He’ll get over it. At first, I think they just withdrew Gaxha into more of a midfield role. Leaving Jebbison as lone. But, Del & the brains trust kept at it on the touchline. By 35, they’d got it worked out. Halued poor old Cullinan off. He’d done nothing wrong, he was just the sacrifice. We went four at the back Williams, Gordon, Gomis & Boyes. With a flat four in front of them. Gaxha, the sub Frankie Maguire, Neal & Blunt. Leaving just Daniel Jebbison up top. Maybe it was to try & stay in it & chuck some strike power on at the death.
Despite those two tight lines of four, Fulham were excellent at playing between the lines. I always think that’s a sign of a good team. And, also, they started to go wider & wider. United came out for the second half with that same intensity they started the game with. Fair play. They clearly felt they were still in it. On 51, Gaxha fed an overlapping Tommy Williams (playing in a back four now remember). But his cross was easily collected by the keeper.
Kyron Gordon (now one of two Centre Backs) has a boil over in him. He doesn’t look particularly strong, needs to grow out a bit. But, he IS strong & tenacious. And, dare I say it, got a bit of devil in him. Early in the second half, he had a very simple, neither of them looking, just walking pace, both watching the ball upfield & just positioning themselves, coming together with Fulham #11. That’s Jean Pierre Tiehi, whose Dad played internationally for Ivory Coast. I’ll take their word for it that he was born in 2002. But, big fucker for his age, is all I’m saying. Anyway J-P has taken exception to this innocent bump with Kyron - and basically whacked him. (I’m thinking face/throat). Because it was off the ball, I doubt the officials saw it. But, from where I was, with one Red Card needing to be evened, I think he was lucky to stay on. After that, every ball seemed to involve those two, with one ending arsewise. Gordon was constantly in his ear & face. I noticed Jack Lester got off the chair & told him to calm it down a bit. Wise Words.
Both teams were playing well at this point. But, a Cup game, only one way back for United. Stay in it & score. Zak Brunt created a great chance on 62. Running strongly in the inside left channel. Maybe Jebbison was better placed, but Zak took it on himself. Finished with a rather tame shot. Five minutes later, Brunt worked another half chance on the left & put a deep cross over. Jebbison couldn’t quite get on the end of it. And. Again. Maguire robbed the Fulham lad on the edge of the box, but Jebbison couldn’t quite get it out from his feet when it fell to him. While all that was going on, Fulham also managed to hit the bar from a whipped in corner, which I think came off a Blades head. Phew. Calm down. Take a breath. What a game.
That was the beginning of a great period of pressure. United won THREE corners in succession. On the first of those, Kyron Gordon channeled his inner Jack O’Connell. He started his run for Zak’s corner in his OWN HALF. Sprinted the young fella did. Good cross an’ all. More or less on his head. But that got scrambled for a corner. Yadda Yadda Yadda. The third corner was cleared by the Fulham zone man. Fell to one of his muckers & they moved it, at speeeeeed, up to the other end, few interpasses, two one, FFS, is there a way back from here? Well, a bit surprisingly, yes there was.
The kids just kept at it. Upped the intensity a bit. Del chucked on Hassan Ayari & Sam Ackroyd on 79 (for Neal & Gaxha). Special, special word for Daniel Jebbo Jebbison at this point. He’d been blue arse flying as a lone striker for AN HOUR. Channels. Headers. Hold ups. The lot. Salute. I felt sure they’d haul him off to great applause. No. Keep going mate. And treble special word for man possessed at this stage Zak Brunt. Looked like the mist had come down. In a good way. Gonna win this fucker on my own. He’d had a good shot saved by the keeper just before the Subs. And, he got the bit of luck he deserved on 83 minutes. He got a good shot off from the edge of the box. Mate, that might have been easy for the keeper, without the deflection. Like I care. Game. On.
This “yet to be nominated award winning Blog” is now able to offer a prize. A CBF logoed Carrier Bag for anybody who can decipher my hand written notes from the final 10 minutes. Because, Brethren, it’s all been let loose. The Young Blades just felt there’s an equaliser in them there hills. The Fulham keeper pulled off a great save from a rifling Harry Boyes cross shot on 89. Free kicks hit deep. Everyone forward. Sam Kelly up for a corner. Zak Brunt chance after chance. And. The Final Whistle. Thoroughly enjoyable. I’ve singled Zak out there. Jebbison for his lone striker running. Andre Brooks for his ball winning before he was binned. Kyron Gordon for, finally, calming it & that from his own half run for the cross from the corner. Tommy Williams, run ragged at times, but getting up & getting in the game himself - Christ, he’s probably still running. Harrison Neal an’ all. All of ‘em.
It’s not often you can say that. That’s what the Cup, and the Youth Cup in particular do. We came up against a very good team. And we got beat. Not out of sight. Quite the reverse, we were bang in it. And, I’m hat tipping to all our young lads. Great night.
The Kernel Brewery, Citra & Taiheke Pale Ale on Keg at 5.5% in The Beer Engine. Maybe, just maybe a little disappointing for a Kernel beer. Nice flavours. But lacking a bit of richness & power. Fresh & bubbly. With an initial hit of fruit sugar (melon or summat like that) which dies quickly. Slightly underpowered in the Hop department. But lots of flavour.
Tiny Rebel Brewing Company, Collab with Polly’s Brew Co, Pineapple Express IPA on Keg at 6.2% in The Portland House. A four swig beer. First swig. Oooohhhh pineapple. Second & Third swig. Oooohhhh yeah. Fourth swig. You know, lots of flavour but not a great deal happening. Once the initial Pineapple settled down, that softened out into a brief, but lovely, juicy hoppy IPA. Although not particularly bitter.
Thornbridge Brewery, Collab with St Austell Brewery, Trevail, East India Porter on Cask at 5.3% in The Eagle. An interesting beer. Thin mouthfeel. Some background vanilla sweetness. You just about get the Hops. But, no quibble it all works well enough.
Stats
I have now Blogged from 895 games in 1,975 days
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