A Town U18 side beat Whitton United 4-3 in an entertaining match at the King George V Playing Field on Saturday afternoon. Jon Leddy (pictured) put Town ahead before goals from Chris Williams and Kevin Inglis gave the hosts the lead. Jack Simmons and Elliot Scotcher then restored Town’s advantage before Marcus Josiah equalised, prior to an unfortunate own goal from Robbie Knott giving the Blues’ youngsters the win.
Whitton fielded Town academy players Sam Brandon and Ollie Brown and whilst the game had been advertised as a ‘Town XI’, there were no first team squad members present with Russell Osman in charge of the youth team.
Town started brightly and Jack Marriott had the ball in the home side’s net after just two minutes, only to see an offside flag had been raised. Ten minutes later, Jon Leddy fed Caolan Lavery who dragged his shot just wide of the post.
Town took the lead on 26 when Alan Mills fouled Marriott on the edge of the 18-yard box. Leddy stepped up and hit a fine freekick into the net, with the aid of a deflection off the two-man Whitton wall that took the ball past keeper Darren Moyes.
However, the lead lasted just two minutes as Jidé Maduako was caught out at the back and Ronaldo Wright fed Chris Williams who slotted the ball past Conor O’Donnell in the Town goal.
Leddy then curled another left-foot effort just over the bar before Lavery forced a fine diving save from Moyes, the keeper pushing Lavery’s effort round the post for a corner.
The home side then took the lead from the penalty spot after 36 minutes. David October sold O’Donnell short with a back pass and the keeper was adjudged to have bought down Williams inside the box. Former Ipswich youth Kevin Inglis stepped up to place the ball past O’Donnell.
Tom Winter forced Moyes into another good save a couple of minutes into the second half before Jack Simmons equalised on 53. A corner from the right wasn’t fully cleared and Elliot Scotcher headed the ball back into the danger area where Simmons hooked the ball over the line from six yards.
Six minutes later and Town were back in front. Good build-up play on the right between Callum Bennett and Winter saw the former tripped by skipper Robbie Knott. With Lavery substituted at half-time, Scotcher took the responsibility and stroked the ball past Moyes.
Whitton sub Thomas Jackson then forced a fine save from O’Donnell — the Republic of Ireland U17 international keeper tipping Jackson’s 20-yard effort just over the bar.
On 72 the hosts equalised when a ball over the Town defence allowed sub Marcus Josiah to lift a left-foot volley over the advancing O’Donnell and into the net.
However, an unfortunate own goal two minutes later gave Town the lead. A good run from Bennett led to the ball rolling across the six-yard box where Ollie Brown’s attempted clearance struck team-mate Knott and landed in the empty net.
Moyes then smothered at the feet of the dangerous Simmons before Whitton were inches away from grabbing another equaliser with six minutes remaining. Another long ball over the Town defence saw Jerrell Layne beat O’Donnell to the bouncing ball but the ball bounced agonisingly onto the crossbar and was cleared to safety.
Town held on for the win, with Jack Marriott giving the home defence problems all afternoon. Jon Leddy impressed in central midfield, but the long ball over the top caught the Blues’ backline out on a number of occasions during the second half.
U18s: O’Donnell, Bennett, October, Meikle, Maduako, Thorsteinsson (Schrøder 46), Winter (Hammond 75), Leddy (Scotcher 46), Lavery (Simmons 46), Marriott, Timlin (Tiofack 46). Unused: Cropper.
Report: James Ager