Welsh
Football Young Guns update news - by Owain Jones
Young guns news -
Monday 31st October 2005.
Nicky Adams (Bury - striker) Again started the 1-1 draw
with Chester at the weekend as Bury try to climb away from the dreaded
relegation zone. The Welsh qualified striker is now being watched by Preston
North End following his goal scoring exploits a week ago on his debut.
Grant Basey (Charlton - defender) Was again very prominent
as the Charlton U18 side beat Norwich 2-1 after coming from behind in the second
half. The former Wales U17 international almost got on the score sheet, but the
left backs shot was too comfortable for the goalkeeper after being put in a good
position.
Gavin Cadwallader (Shrewsbury - defender) Formed a solid
defence with his team mates as the Shrewsbury reserves managed to keep a clean
sheet during their 0-0 draw with Rochdale on Thursday night. The defender was
impressive as the defence pushed high up the field to put pressure on the
Rochdale midfield as he and his fellow rearguard defenders drove his side
on. The game also saw David Edwards (midfielder) get another
run out as he builds up his fitness after injury.
Russell Fry (Hull - midfielder) Again showed glimpses of
the potential that made Brian Flynn try and convince him that his future lied
with Wales and not with the Three Lions as he struck after four minutes during
the reserve game against Lincoln this week. The former Wales U16 international
played for the England U20 team at the start of the season but was not included
in the most recent international at that age group. It seems that Mr Toshack is
not in the business of grovelling for players to choose Wales if dual qualified
and that is understandable because he had the option to choose Scotland himself,
but I guess you are either feel Welsh or you do not.
Adam Gross (Barnet - defender) And the Barnet squad awoke
amid a nightmare at the Theatre of Dreams of Wednesday night after the early
sending off of their goalkeeper against Man Utd in the Carling Cup. The former
Wales U19 international will have played against many of the young Utd players
during his time at Charlton, and will surely have learnt a lot from the
opportunity to play in front of a near full capacity at Old Trafford.
Ollie Holmes (Cambridge - midfielder) Made sure of his
sides equalising goal at the weekend as the Cambridge youth team managed to turn
around a string of defeats with a draw against in-form Rushden and Diamonds.
The midfielder hung around the goal and his presence insured that his side got
the goal that they deserved. Holmes was joined the starting XI by Wales U17
international Ryan Moon (defender).
Damien Hopkins (Bradford - defender) Was involved in a
tough match this week as the Bantams reserve were over powered 4-0 by a
Sheffield Wednesday side hell bent on winning in the driving rain. This will be
a good test for the Wales U17 international as he makes the transition between
youth team and senior football.
Michael Johnson (Tranmere - defender) Marshalled his
defence well on Wednesday night as Tranmere took on Wrexham in a reserve team
friendly at Prenton Park. It was to be a tough night for the Dragons with
former U17 international Johnson and his team mates making life very difficult
for the forwards with the Wirral based team running out 4-2 winners.
Owain Tudur Jones (Swansea - midfielder) Has seen his
career sky rocket since going on an initial one month contract at the Liberty
Stadium, the Wales U21 midfielder will sit down with manager Kenny Jackett soon
to discuss extending his contract. After six weeks out through injury the
former Bangor midfielder made it an even better week with a through ball that
set up Adrian Forbes for the goal of the the reserve team clash with Bristol
Rovers on Monday. "Owain has some promise. I like what he has got and I like his attitude."
Kenny Jackett, Swansea manager.
Liam Maloney (Preston - midfielder) Made another
appearance on the bench for the reserves this week as the former Wales U17
international looked to progress his career from youth team football. The
Carlisle starting XI contained Peter Ferris (striker) who had a
glorious chance to score during the first half and was replaced with an injury
during the second half.
Lewin Nyatanga (Derby - defender) Was an unused substitute
on Saturday as the Rams slumped 2-1 to Hull on Saturday. It will again stand
him in good stead as he looks to force his way into becoming a regular first
team member.
Anthony Pulis (Stoke - midfielder) Had a hand in one of
the goals as the Stoke reserves tamed the Terriers in midweek. The Wales U21
midfielder who is now out of his fathers shadow after Pulis senior was shown the
door at the Britannia Stadium during pre-season and is getting regular reserve
team action as he looks to make in roads into gaining a first team spot.
Tom Sparey (Shrewsbury - defender) Got one of his sides
goals but the border town outfit couldn't prevent themselves from being dumped
out of the Alliance Cup at the weekend. The Welsh centre half scored his sides
first goal as the Shrews lost 3-2 against rivals Chester.
Young guns news -
Friday 21st October 2005. Nicky Adams (Bury - striker) Scored in his first start as
struggling Bury got three points against Darlington on Saturday. The Welsh
qualified striker timed his run to perfection, beat the offside trap and jinxed
his way past the keeper to score his first goal for the club in senior
football. The Bolton born forward turned 19 last Sunday and may well get some
attention from Welsh scouts following his goal scoring debut.
Gareth Bale (Southmapton - defender) Started the reserve
team game against Watford on Wednesday night. The Cardiff born defender will
now travel to Limoges with the U19's barely a month after representing the U17
side in the UEFA tournament in North Wales. It is quite obvious that he
is another player that is highly regarded by Brian Flynn who has also put him on
the standby list for U21 side.
Grant Basey (Charlton - defender) And his fellow defenders
kept a clean sheet as the Addicks U18 team ended a sequence of three losses with
a 1-0 win against local rivals Millwall at the weekend. Basey and his team
mates held firm with the former Wales U17 defender again highlighting why he is
one to keep an eye on.
Matthew Collins (Fulham - midfielder) Who has been
suffering from a recurrent hamstring strain is now slowly beginning his return to
fitness. The cultured midfielder who has played right the way through the Welsh
youth team set up is now working on the technical areas of training and will
need a lengthy period of conditioning to build up his fitness after such a
considerable amount of time on the sidelines.
Ryan Crockford (Reading - midfielder) Is half claiming a
goal from the U18 win against Watford on Saturday. The former Wales U17
midfielder floated in a free kick which fellow team mate Scott Davies claims to
have got a touch too as the ball ghosted past the keeper for the only goal of
the game. He also won credit from coach Eammon Dolan who claimed that Crockford
has been playing very well of late.
Rob Davies (WBA - midfielder) Again showed glimpses of why
the Midlands club made the overtures to poach him from Wrexham as the Wales U19
midfielder scored for the reserves as they beat Bolton 2-0 this week. Davies
got the Baggies off to a flyer as he neatly controlled a left wing cross before
firing into the far corner. He was also singled out for special praise after
playing well in the youth game against Crewe at the weekend. The Crewe starting
XI contained U19 squad members Christopher Flynn (midfielder)
who was pressed into in the centre of defence and Owain Fon Williams
(goalkeeper)"Our best player by far was Rob Davies, who is playing well and influencing
games." Craig Shakespeare, Academy coach
Neil Eardley (Oldham - defender) Buried his spot kick as
the Oldham youth team beat Carlisle 4-1 on Saturday morning. The North
Wales born defender and brother of fellow Latic Sean Eardley, slotted home his
penalty as they cruised to an easy win. The 16 year old will now travel to
Limoges with the Wales U19 team after the withdrawal of Lewin Nyatanga.
David Hutton (Spurs - midfielder) Made an appearance at
the weekend as the Spurs U18 team lost 2-1 to Coventry. The youngster qualifies
for Wales courtesy of a grandmother from Ogmore and came off the bench and
played well but couldn't quite get the break through that his side craved.
Joe Jacobson (Cardiff - defender) Unleashed an unstoppable
right footed shot to put his side 1-0 up in the reserve team encounter against
Cheltenham Town. The Wales U21 defender cut inside three tackles before
smashing in his sides only goal in the 1-1 draw.
Mark Jones (Wrexham - midfielder) Again highlighted why he
is being watched closely by such teams as Blackburn this week with two goals in
the LDV Vans Trophy game against Blackpool. Unfortunately the performance of
the midfielder was not matched by the result as the Dragons slumped 4-3 and
exited the competition they won last year in Cardiff. It has again been noted
this week by papers and various web sites alike that Jones has been watched by
over half of the Premiership sides at one time or another this season, with
Blackburn, Charlton, Everton, Fulham and Man City in particular keen to take a
closer look.
Joe Ledley (Cardiff - midfielder) Gave the Bluebird fans a
glimpse of the future with a goal and also a competitive performance opposite
what could be his Welsh midfielder partner for years to come in David
Jones (Preston/Man Utd - midfielder). The Welsh midfielder scored
with the assistance of a deflection in a week where he was deemed to be too
experienced to travel with the Wales U19 team. Although one could argue that
without players like David Cotterill and Joe Ledley, the chances of qualifying
and starting the process of success and positive thinking from a young age has
diminished.
Shaun MacDonald (Swansea - midfielder) + Mark Pritchard (Swansea -
forward) Will have enjoyed seven days which saw them beat Azerbaijan
U21's 4-0 and also make a starting appearance in the Swansea team that beat
Torquay 3-1 in the LDV Vans Trophy 1st Round. Both are highly regarded by Brian
Flynn who will have known of both ever since his days at The Vetch.
Lewin Nyatanga (Derby - defender) Made a 90th minute
appearance for the senior side on Saturday as they drew 1-1 with Stoke. The
week would get better as Nyatanga started the midweek game against Wolves at the
heart of defence alongside Michael Johnson. He played the full 90 minutes as
the Rams drew 1-1 with highly fancied Wolves. The Burton born defender who has
been attracting a lot of attention of late will now look to retain his position
as a part of the main squad and eventually make the break into Wales senior
side, which could well come in Cyprus if things continue to progress for the 17
year old defender. "I only found out I was playing about 90 minutes before the game, after we
had though the pre-match preparations." Lewin Nyatanga
Simon Spender (Wrexham - defender) Scored with a well
taken shot on Saturday as the Dragons recorded a 4-2 win against Torquay on
Saturday. The Wales U21 international struck after 49 minutes with the young
midfielder playing the full 90 minutes at the Racecourse.
Marc Williams (Wrexham - striker) Gave his side an early
lead in a friendly against Crewe this week, but it was a lead they would not go
on to hold as the rampant Railwaymen ran out 5-1 winners.
Lee Worgan (Cardiff - goalkeeper) Made his Bluebirds debut
this week with a reserve team appearance against Cheltenham town. The game
finished 1-1 with Worgan having to pull the ball out of the net once in what was
quite a quiet debut for the former Wimbledon academy keeper.
Young guns news -
Friday 14th October 2005. Jo Arnold (Derby - striker) + Mitchell Booth (Derby - midfielder) Both came
on during the second half as a young Derby XI played against Crewe on Tuesday.
Arnold is a former Wales U17 international and went up front during the break as
the Rams struggled to contain a much more experienced Crewe starting XI.
Neil Eardley (Oldham - defender) Played the full 90
minutes as the Oldham XI took on Bury in a Manchester Senior Cup tie. The
Bangor born defender, and brother of Sean Eardley(Oldham - defender) played the full 90 minutes as the
Latics ran out 4-1 winners. He also got an assist as he laid on a pass for the
fourth goal in the rout.
Dean Grubb (Bristol City - midfielder) Got an assist as
the City reserves beat Yeovil 4-2 this week. It has been a good week all round
for the youngster after being named in the U19 squad for the UEFA tournament in
Limoges.
Lloyd James (Southampton - midfielder) Struck from the
penalty spot as the Southampton U18 team rumbled on for their 8th consecutive
win this season. The Wales U19 midfielder who has been singled out by manager
Brian Flynn as one of the ones to watch scored from the spot as the team ran out
3-0 winners.
Michael Johnston (Tranmere - defender) Played the full 90
minutes as the Tranmere reserves lost in an eight goal thriller this week. The
Wales U19 standby player was at the back in an inexperienced back four in what
was to prove a tough night during a feak result against Rotherham.
James Frayne (Liverpool - striker) Got the reds back to
winning ways with a goal as the Liverpool U18 team beat WBA 4-2 on Saturday.
The former Wales U17 training squad member and nephew of former England goalie
David James restroed his sides lead as they ran out comfortable winners against
the young Baggies.
James Wilson (Bristol City - defender) Was a part of the
City U18 rearguard that kept a clean sheet against Spurs last weekend. The
Wales U17 international has been in fine form of late, even scoring last week
and will now look to keep his performance level up and push for a regular slot
with the reserves. He was joined in the starting XI by former Wales U17 stopper
Sam Pearce (goalkeeper) and current Wales U19 international
Dean Grubb (midfielder). The Spurs starting XI contained Wales
U17 training camp memeber Matthew Wells (Spurs -
defender)
Karl Yelland (QPR - defender) The former Wales Under 17
defender helped QPR keep a clean sheet in their 2-0 win against Portsmouth
under 18s. The team played very well and the young Rangers have now only
conceded one goal in the last three matches.
Young guns news -
Friday 7th October 2005.
David Edwards (Shrewsbury - midfielder) Made a surprise
appearance from the bench for the reserves this week as he started his playing
comeback from injury. The former Wales U19 international played the last hour
as the Shrews drew 2-2 with Tranmere. The Wirral based outfit contained Wales
U19 international Michael Johnston (defender) who played the
full 90 minutes.
Sean Evans (Man Utd - midfielder) Struck his sides second
goal as the Man Utd U18 team beat City in a mini derby on Saturday morning. The
Welsh qualified youngster has not been picked for a youth squad as of yet,
whether that is because he is keeping his options open is not known.
Lewis Guy (Doncaster - striker) Hit the net as Doncaster
reserves beat Darlington 4-0 on Tuesday. The former Wales U16 international
struck with his head to score his sides third goal of the night. The former
Magpie has shown how tough it is to keep a regular first team spot at this level
even if you have been a prolific scorer at youth level. His case is highlighted
alongside Nardiello who was another player that struck the onion bag on a
consistent level during his spell at the Old Trafford academy and only now is he
commanding a first team spot at Barnsley.
Lloyd James (Southampton - midfielder) Scored one of his
sides goals as the Southampton U18 team stretched their unbeaten run to seven
with a 4-2 win over Charlton at the weekend. The Wales U19 midfielder struck in
the first half as the Saints raced to a lead they would not surrender.
Mark Jones (Wrexham - midfielder) Bagged a brace in the
second half as the Dragons put Stockport to the sword on Saturday. The Wales
U21 midfielder cracked one in from outside the box with a superb volley and
scored his second with another from distance. The young midfielder will now hope
to join up with the U21 squad without any injuries which have forced him to miss
out over the past few qualifying games.
Dan Martin (Notts County - defender) Scored for the
reserve side this week in the 1-1 draw with Rushden and Diamonds and at the same
time made the tough decision to withdraw from the Wales U21 squad. The Wales
U21 defender has decided that he needs to concentrate on trying to secure a
regular first team place after being shown the door by Derby in the summer. It
is a bold move that we hope will give him the football that he craves without
damaging his international future.
Daniel Nardiello (Barnsley - striker) Was recalled to the
starting XI line up at the weekend and responded with a goal after seven
minutes. The former Manchester Utd academy starlet struck with a header early on
as Barnsley went on to win convincingly against promotion hopefuls Oldham.
Gareth Owen (Oldham - defender) Was carried off on a
stretcher during the game against Barnsley on Saturday. The former Wales U20
defender had a deep gash on his knee which required eight stitches and had a
scan this week which revealed soft tissue bruising and he will be out for at
least two weeks.
James Wilson (Bristol City - defender) Celebrated his
first cap for Wales U17's by scoring for the Bristol City U18 team against
an Australia U18 team this week. The City U18 team ran out 7-0 winners with
Wilson getting his sides sixth goal.
Marc Williams (Wrexham - striker) + Phil Gray (Wrexham -
defender) Got among the goals as the Wrexham Youth team beat
Macclesfield 4-2 at Colliers Park. Williams has been on the fringes of the
first team this season with the Dragons struggling to cope with a paper thin
squad. The young Dragon was also on the score sheet as the reserves drew 1-1
with Chester this week.
Dale Williams (Yeovil - striker) Played his part as Yeovil
cruised to a 10-0 win against Stephton Mallett in the first round of the
Somerset Premier Cup. The Wales U19 international scored his sides seventh goal
with a 25 yarder.
Karl Yelland (QPR - defender) Has regained fitness after
an injury ruled him out of last weeks reserve team tie with Spurs. The former
Wales U16's defender has been in and around the reserve team this season and he
will be very keen to battle his way back into the international scene.