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 Welsh Football Young news - by Owain Jones
  

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Young guns news - Sunday 26th September 2004.

Byron Anthony (Cardiff - defender) - Got his first senior start and also his first senior goal on Tuesday night, as a young Cardiff City team alleviated the pressure on Lennie Lawrence with a 4-1 win against MK Dons.  He was joined in the second half by Joe Ledley (midfielder) who also gave the manager a few things to think about whilst choosing his starting XI for Saturdays league game. 
 

Gareth Bale (Southampton - defender) - Drove his side forward from the back on Saturday as the Southampton U16 emulated the U18 side with a 2-0 win against Villa.  Bale was joined in the back four by fellow Wales U16 player Ian Jones

 

Adam Birchall (Arsenal - striker) - Has signed on with Wycombe Wanderers for a further month.  Adam has made six appearances for Wycombe and has scored twice, both goals coming against Grimsby.

 

Michael Byrne (Stockport - striker) - Once again showed that he is more than just a goal poacher with a screamer to notch his third goal in two games while on loan at Leigh RMI.  The former Wales U19 striker is now getting a run of first team action and it seems to be bearing fruit with a string of impressive performances. 

 

Arron Davies (Southampton - striker) + Kyle Critchell (Southampton - defender) - Both featured from the start as Southampton's reserves took on Watford on Wednesday night.  It was Davies as usual who was in the thick of the action, creating chances for himself and also making chances for others.  And it was he who finally killed the game off with his sides third goal as he cut into the area dragged the ball back onto his right and curled the ball into the top right hand corner.  Critchell impressed with his runs from defence and distribution skills that will hopefully be of use if he gets picked to represent Wales next month with the U19 squad. 

 

Stuart Fleetwood (Cardiff - striker) - Got his first league start of his career on Saturday as an under fire Lennie Lawrence picked the Gloucester born hit man against Derby.  The Wales U21 international was looking menacing until a heavy challenge by Michael Johnson put paid to his debut after only 40 minutes.  It is now thought that he will miss training for the next ten days as he recovers. 

 

Lloyd James (Southampton - midfielder) - Put his side ahead after 70 minutes after a fantastic one-two with Nathan Dyer as they ran out 3-1 winners.  The Wales U16 midfielder has been in fine form of late and must have been slightly mystified to lose out on a place in Ian Rush's' U17 squad having performed so well during the first few games of the season. 

 

Cameron Jerome (Cardiff - striker) - Hit a hatrick and was described as being a colossus by the Charlton website, as his side savaged the Addicks U18 side 4-0 during the weekend.  The Charlton side which included David Evans (midfielder) and Adam Gross (defender) were completely out fought by the young Bluebirds who seem to be adapting very quickly to life in the academy league.

 

Lewis Price (Ipswich - goalkeeper) - Made his second appearance of the season as the Tractor boys crashed out of the Carling Cup against Doncaster Rovers.  The Wales U21 stopper failed to keep a clean sheet this time as his side shipped two goals and left manager Joe Royle seething.


Young guns news - Friday 17th September 2004.

Michael Byrne
(Stockport - striker) - Scored twice for Leigh RMI as he enjoy's life out on loan while gaining first team and match experience. The talented forward has been sent out by Sammy McIllroy to get some playing time under his belt. 

Ramon Calliste (Man Utd - striker) - Skipped past the Shrewsbury defence to set up Man Utd's fourth goal as the cruises to a 5-2 win against the Town reserves on Wednesday night. The Shrewsbury reserve side contained Jamie Tolley (midfielder) who notched up one of his sides goals, and Ross Stephens (midfielder) who put in a solid performance. They were joined in the starting XI by David Edwards (midfielder) who was taken off during the first half after failing to run off an earlier knock. 

David Cotterill (Bristol City - striker) - Struck an absolute beauty of a goal after stepping off the bench, but it wasn't enough to stop his side from falling to a 3-1 defeat to Plymouth. The Cardiff born striker collected the ball just outside the Plymouth box and hit a fine curling shot beyond the reach of the goalkeeper to equalise with an outstanding individual effort. 

"Steven Gillespie had to come off after having a tooth knocked out in a collision with a defender. But David Cotterill did an excellent job as a replacement and scored an absolute cracking goal." - Keith Millen, reserve team coach

Andrew Crofts (Gillingham - striker) - Came off the bench for the first team on Saturday, but couldn't make an impact as his side were blown away by a rampant Sunderland. With the first choice striker force misfiring so badly, it could leave Crofts with an opportunity to stake his claim. He was also brought on with ten minutes to go on Wednesday night as his side drew 2-2 with Coventry.

Adam Davies (Cambridge - defender) - Produced a fine performance in his first appearance for the reserve team as the U's unseated the Wycombe chairboys in midweek. The Wales U19 international put in an impressive performance at the heart of the Cambridge defence as he and his fellow defenders kept a clean sheet in a 3-0 victory. 

Peter Ferris (Carlisle - striker) - Notched the first goal with a left footed shot as Carlisle Youth dismantled Rochdale 5-0 over the weekend. He is a striker who will look to catch the eye this season as the Wales U19 squad prepare for another crack at the UEFA Under 19 Championship. 

Lewis Haldane (Bristol Rovers - striker) - Scored the goal which earned the reserves a point against Cheltenham on Tuesday night. After going a goal down the ball was slid into the path of Haldane, and from the edge of the six yard box the former Southampton trainee calmly stroked home to make it 1-1. 

Jamie Price (Birmingham - midfielder) - Was another Welsh youth player to celebrate a call up to the U17's with a fine performance on Saturday. The Robbie Savage "mini me" put in a top drawer performance as the Blues U18 team saw off a strong challenge from Arsenal, running out 4-1 winners. 

Owen Price (Spurs - striker) - Has had a troubled start to the season with a catalogue of niggles and is now struggling with reasonably serious shin splints which are preventing him from running at the moment. The Welsh striker who qualifies for Wales through a Welsh grandmother is looking at around a month on the sidelines. 

Cristopher Saunders (Charlton - defender) - Celebrated a call up to the Wales U17 squad by putting in a strong performance as Charlton's U16 team thrashed Bristol City 5-1 at the weekend. The former Wales U16 international will now look forward to a double header against the Ukraine at the end of the month. 

Dan Tolley (Shrewsbury - midfielder) - Scored with a superb strike as the Shrewsbury Youth team beat neighbours and rivals Chester 4-1 at the weekend. He scored from Welsh qualified defender Tom Sparey's (defender) pass. 

Gareth Williams (Colchester - striker) - Was instrumental in his sides 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Saturday. The former Palace hitman scored one and had a hand in another as he started life with a bang at his new club. The former Wales U21 player also scored a hatrick for the reserves last week to boost his confidence. 

"When you come back to a club where you've done well on loan, there's a bit more pressure on you. As Wayne wasn't going to be here, the deal gave me the chance to play week in, week out, as long as I'm performing." - Gareth Williams 

Lee Worgan (Rushden and Diamonds - goalkeeper) - Pulled off some fantastic saves in the Diamonds goal on Tuesday, but it was not enough to stop his side from crashing to a 2-0 defeat to Northampton in the Maunsell Cup Semi Final. The Wales U21 goalkeeper pulled off a series of fine saves, but it was Luke Graham's (defender) team that ran out winners on the night. 

Young guns news - Friday 10th September 2004.

The Derby County reserve side was brimming with Welsh talent on Tuesday night with no fewer than three youth players in the starting XI. Dan Martin was at right back, Lewin Nyatanga on the left and former Man Utd academy member Mitchell Booth in midfield. They were all heavily involved during the game, and Martin in particular caught the attention 

"Rams full backs Nathan Doyle and Dan Martin may only be on the first rungs of their careers but they looked like they had been around for years as they expertly controlled the flanks." - www.dcfc.com 

Gareth Bale (Southampton - midfielder) + Ian Jones (Southampton - midfielder) - Were both a part of the Southampton U16 team that thrashed Watford 5-0 at the weekend. Both are now a part of the Southampton academy that has seen a lot of Welsh interest of the past few years. 

Michael Byrne (Stockport - striker) - Having broken into Sammy Mcllroy's first Team and scoring freely in pre-season Michael Has gone to boost his first team experience in the National Conference on a Months Loan with Leigh RMI. He made his debut on Saturday and Manager Phil Starbuck was very pleased with his performance.

"Michael Byrne played an excellent game and gave us extra options." - Phil Starbuck, Leigh RMI Manager

Sammy Mcllroy has told Michael to go out and play a month in the conference in preparation for a extended run in the first team at County, which he hopes will also push his claims for a place in Glyn Hodges' Wales U21 squad. 

David Cotterill (Bristol City - striker) - Made an appearance as a second half substitute for the reserves against Cardiff this week, and he almost set up the equaliser with his first touch. The Welsh striker will hope that a few games for reserves will mean that he can gain the international recognition that he is looking for. 

Ryan Crockford (Reading - midfielder) - Unleashed an unstoppable shot into the far corner as Reading's U18 side rolled over Millwall at The New Den. The former Wales U17 squad member was in good form as he drove his side on from the centre of midfield. 

Stuart Edwards (Leeds - defender) - Won a lot of plaudits for his performance during his sides loss against WBA reserves last week. The former Wales U19 full back was singled out as being the driving force behind his sides determination to get back into the game. 

"It was United's young full-back pairing of Sean McDaid and Stuart Edwards who tried hardest to get a goal back, Edwards went forward with an impressive run that he could not finish and then McDaid's cross-shot was just held by the keeper under his own crossbar." - Leeds official website

Adam Gross (Charlton - defender) + David Evans (Chalrton - midfielder) - Were both in action as the Addicks U18 side defeated Birmingham to give them their third victory in a row. It was Gross who got into the thick of the action early on, with a whipped in cross that his team mate buried for the opening goal. It was good to see the dynamic Evans back to full fitness after what has been a up and down period due to various injuries. The Birmingham starting XI included the Savage clone, Jamie Price (midfielder). 

Lewis Haldane (Bristol Rovers - striker) - Scored another goal for the reserves at the end of last week, but it wasn't enough to save his side from defeat against Plymouth. The Welsh qualified striker will hope that his goals for the second string will be enough to earn him a first team spot, which he has not had this season. 

Wayne Hennessey (Wolves - goalkeeper) - Was singled out for praise by coach John Perkins after some heroic goalkeeping for the Wolverhampton U18 team against Sunderland. With the Angelsey born shot stopper keeping a clean sheet, his team mates did the rest as they ran out 1-0 winners. 

"At the other end, Wayne Hennessey had a fine match in goal and he made some good saves when Sunderland put us under pressure." - John Perskins, Wolves U18 coach

Lloyd James (Southampton - midfielder) - Helped his side maintain their 100% start to the season with an early goal for the U18's against Watford on Saturday. The Bristol born midfielder scored after eight minutes with his weaker left foot as the young Saints cruised to a 3-0. He was joined in the starting XI by Kyle Critchell (defender) James also made the reserve side and was brought on after 40 minutes against Spurs. The Spurs side contained Welsh dual eligibility striker Owen Price, who qualifies for Wales through a Welsh grandfather. 

Chris Jones (Leeds - midfielder) - Grabbed an assist for the Leeds U18's as they thumped a woeful Liverpool at the weekend. The attacking midfielder put in a superb low cross for his team mate to score the first goal in a 3-0 win. The Liverpool team contained James Frayne (striker) the nephew of England calamity keeper, David James. Although dual qualified, the 15 year old is described as being Welsh by the official website. 

Mark Jones (Wrexham - midfielder) - Scored the only goal of the game as Wrexham's reserves beat Blackpool 1-0. It was a second consecutive win for the second string who should have scored more with the chances they created. 

Lewis Price (Ipswich - goalkeeper) - Was briefly called up to join the senior squad out in Baku after an injury scare to Mark Crossley during training. Although Crossley recovered, it was good experience for the Bournemouth born stopper to be around the seniors after his clean sheet for the U21's the day before. After returning from Azerbaijan he played for the reserves on Monday night and produced his second clean sheet in four days as the Tractor boys drew with Watford. 

Dale Williams (Yeovil - striker) - Played full 90 minutes for Yeovil reserves v Bristol City as right wing back with Yeovil going down 2-1. The talented youngster had a very solid game playing out of position and it shows that the management at the club are not afraid to use utilize him in a variety of positions. It was also another game on his road to recovery after being concussed earlier in the season.


Young guns news - Friday 3rd September 2004.

Adam Birchall
(Arsenal - striker) - Bagged a brace for his new club as Wycombe beat Grimsby 2-0 on Saturday. The Wales U21 striker got both goals with headers and also picked up the man of the match award. He will be keen to keep on scoring so he can convince Arsene Wenger that he has a future at Highbury and it will also be a great boost as he travels to Baku with the U21's. 

Arron Davies (Southampton - striker) - Was on hand with an assist as Southampton reserves maintained their winning start to the season with a 3-2 win against Fulham. The Wales U21 international was up against former Wales U17 captain Matthew Collins who was in the centre of midfield for the Cottagers, but was withdrawn after 26 minutes. Arron was joined in the Saints squad by Wales U19 central defender, Kyle Critchell.

Russell Fry (Hull - striker) - Got his season under way this week as the Tigers reserves drew with Hartlepool. The Welsh qualified striker caused problems for the away side and will be glad to have got 90 minutes under his belt in what has been a washed out start to the reserve league. 

Daniel Martin (Derby - defender) - Started in the centre of defence for the reserves alongside Bosnian international Mo Konjic on Wednesday night. It was to be a good night as well as the Rams defence kept a clean sheet and ran out 2-0 winners. 

Daniel Nardiello (Man Utd - striker) - Scored his side's only goal in the defeat to Wrexham. It was his first goal in what is a season long loan at Barnsley from Old Trafford. There still seems to be no decision made about which country he wants to represent, and now that he is too old for the U21's, we may have to wait some time for the outcome. 

Rhys Powell (Bolton - defender) - Started for the Bolton reserves against Wolves on Wednesday night. The young full back played the full 90 minutes as his side narrowly lost 3-2 to a more experienced Wolves second string. He along with his brother Liam at Leicester have been regularly playing reserve team football as they strive to gain more senior game time.

Jamie Price (Birmingham - midfielder) - Got his new season under way with a win as him and his U18 team mates started with a 3-1 victory against Everton. The Robbie Savage mini clone played the whole 90 minutes as his side dominated the game and won their first game in the newly formed U18 league.

David Vaughan (Crewe - midfielder) - Is another Welsh U21 player who will travel to Baku full of confidence after a superb display for The Railwaymen against Derby on Saturday. The Rhuddlan born midfielder scored with a free kick and was a constant menace to the Rams rear guard with his pace and guile.

  
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