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 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. 

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