Professional Development League
Monday 15 April 2024
Played at Bramall Lane
SUFC 2023/24 Game #60
NBDR
No Beer Don't Read
Thoroughly dominant performance by the Under 21s in front of Wilder, Knill, Andrews, Hoyland and Lester. All sat in a row in the South Stand.
Headlines taken by a 21 minute hat trick by Will Osula. Levels, as they say. But looked a proper handful striker this afts.
It's a postponement disrupted league at the moment. We're in third position. Just four points behind leaders Birmingham City. But, with four games in hand on them. Remember, the top two qualify for the play offs for the National Title. There's no promotion I'm afraid.
Sheffield Wednesday lie second. Three points better off. But, we have three games in hand on them. And, they've got to come to The Lane. So, this afternoon really felt like our march to the play offs, and maybe even the North Group Title, got back on track.
Osula basically a lone striker. Adam Davies getting some minutes in goal. Seventeen year old Dovydas Sasnauskas captain and middle of the three. Connor Barratt on his right. Zain Tahir on his left. Curtis wide right. Tinsdale wide left. Slimane and Peck anchoring midfield. Louie Louie Marsh and Andre Brooks more roaming.
Front foot, dynamic start for the Blades. A great chance for Marsh in the first minute. He didn't really commit to the shot and the half hearted affair was palmed out by the Watford keep. Brooks blazed the rebound miles over.
We can actually deal with those two now. From his high standards, I'm finding Marsh a little bit off the boil in this spell at the club. I was a little surprised they just didn't let him loose up top with Will O. And. Brooks failed to put his stamp fully on the game again. If anything, he's becoming a bit one dimensional. Runs straight at his man. And is prone to give the ball away.
United were a bit lucky on 6. Sasnauskas got to a ball crossed in from his left. But he didn't clear it. Merely stunned it perfectly for the Hornet striker. Luckily he couldn't do owt with it.
Sam Curtis had started well again. Combining well with his teammates and looking to get forward.
The difference in attitude between switched on Peck and half hearted Brooks was clear on 8. The Watford guy drifted past Brooks easily. Leaving Peck to make a lot of ground to put a lunging tackle in and tidy the mess up.
The show got underway on 9 minutes. A neat, simple move. Slimane playing it out of defence. Marsh having a look and being aware. Osula making the run. Marsh slipping him. Great shimmy onto his left foot by Osula. And he buries it. Shocking defending mind to go for a hotdog on Will's shimmy. One nil.
Nearly two up on 13. Driving run by Peck. He got grabbed twice on his run. Great composure in the box to slow it a sec and work it all out. Shocking composure in the box to put a poor shot wide!!!
On 17, Tinsdale played a lovely ball into the box for Marsh. He's gone for a fancy right foot return flick. Missed it. It's hit his left foot and rolled perfectly to the byline. Giggling here. Watford didn't deal with Louie's ball in. It fell to Sir William of Denmark. Lovely swively right footer for Two Nil.
It was all lovely stuff from United at this bit. Confidence growing. Heads high. Prepared to probe. And come backwards and start again if necessary.
And. That Osula hatter on 30. He chased a lost cause down the right. Activated I'm not fucking passing mode. Brought it into the box. Made the angle. And left footed a Three Nil.
Sweeping swagger from the Young Blades for the rest of the half. Not particularly arrogant. But certainly confident.
All rounded off on 40. Interplay with Brooks ended up with Osula hitting the far post.
Half time. Three Nil.
All told, the second half felt more of a cruise. Our possession a bit more for possessions sake. Because we could. The game came to life again briefly on 14. Brooks had oceans of space as he dribbled diagonally forward. He played the reverse ball to Sydie in oceans of space. His right footer found oceans of goal space across the keeper. Those oceans of space brought to you by appalling Watford defending. Four Nil.
Just three minutes later. Same amounts of space. Different positions. Brooks rolls it left for Marsh to finish. On “count back” maybe I've been a little unfair to Andre!!!
(Billy Blacker replaced Slimane between those goals. Planned I think.)
Pitan replaced Captain Dovydas on 66. Superb interplay down the right on 68, Brooks to Curtis. But the shot was palmed out.
Osula and Tinsdale off on 82. For Macedo and Oné. ‘nando to left wing back. Don't know what that's all about.
Peck running the show for large parts. Will irresistible up top. Lots of contributions.
Good afternoon.
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