Report: Hartlepool United Under-18s 2-4 Iron Under-18s

The Iron’s Under-18 side were 4-2 winners at Hartlepool United in the Youth Alliance Cup on Friday afternoon.

On a blustery day at East Durham College, where Hartlepool’s first team train, the surface was really good and conducive to an entertaining game of football.

Scunthorpe took the lead on 22 minutes, as a good passing sequence ended with Joe Busby driving inside from the right and playing a square pass to Tom Pugh, who curled the ball into the top corner from 18 yards. 

The hosts then came back into it, with the Iron conceding from a counter-attack on 37 minutes to level the scores. 

The visitors could have gone back ahead but were unfortunate when Miracle Okafor’s shot on the turn went just wide on 42 minutes.

With 45 minutes on the clock, Scunthorpe conceded to the final kick of the half as the hosts went in ahead at the interval.

In the second period, the Iron started well and pressed. Levi Gallimore intercepted a pass early on and passed to Louis Collins, who hit the post.

On 52 minutes, Scunthorpe came close again as Gallimore won the ball and passed to Okafor, but his shot missed the target.

Three minutes later, the Iron were level through a short corner routine. Aidan Train crossed and Gallimore met the header, before Louis Collins got on the end of it, looping a header over the goalkeeper to make it 2-2.

In the 57th minute, Scunthorpe were on the front foot and pressing really well as Hartlepool tried to play the ball out from the back, and managed to take the lead as Miracle Okafor slotted home.

On 70 minutes, the Iron went 4-2 in front as Train drove forward from left-back and cut inside from the left to the edge of the box, curling a right-footed strike into the corner of the net.

Then, for a period of five minutes, Hartlepool threw everything at the Iron, who defended superbly, throwing their bodies at the ball and denying their opportunities.

Finley Shrimpton had a chance on 87 minutes as he intercepted and lobbed the ball from 20 yards, with it just going wide of the goal.

A minute later, Scunthorpe had another chance to go further ahead when Liam Colclough broke and played a square pass to Gallimore, who went one-on-one with the goalkeeper, who made himself big and pulled off a good save.

It was a positive, professional performance from the Iron, beating a team who’d defeated them two weeks earlier. The team showed great desire and technical ability, and should have won the game by more goals. It was a good win to build on last week’s victory over Mansfield Town.

Iron team: Riches, Baker, Train, Harrison, Barks, Morfoot, Pugh (Shrimpton, 60), L Collins (Chadli, 69), Okafor (L Colclough, 87), Jessop (Gallimore, 33), Busby.
Unused substitute: T Collins.