The Future's Bright - Episode 3

By Steve Barras

This is the third instalment of this season’s feature on the Leeds United Academy. The young whites played a total of seven games between the two teams in October, let’s see how they got on.

The first day of the month saw our Development Squad take on Barnsley at home and Leeds ran out deserved 4-0 winners. Dominic Poleon and Patrick Antelmi both bagged a brace in a dominant display. The young Antelmi scored a goal in each half to celebrate the Australian signing his first professional deal with the club a few days before. Poleon scored both of his goals in the second half. This game saw Patrick Kisnorbo playing in an unfamiliar central midfield role to make way for a new centre back pairing in Ricardo Rocha and Ustaritz Aldekoa-Talora, both on trial.

The Development Squad picked up a point the following week in Huddersfield, the whites were held to a goalless draw. Huddersfield had put out a strong side and they had the better of the first 45 minutes and although improved in the second half, Leeds rarely troubled the opposite goal with trialist Joan Pons coming the closest to breaking the deadlock.

The following match against Sheffield Wednesday was very much a game of different halves. Leeds dominated the proceedings in the first half but Wednesday capitalised on some woeful defending in the second half to win the game 4-0. A lazy back-pass from Patrick Kisnorbo ended with Paul Rachubka being sent off with the scores still level.

The following match Leeds were back to winning ways and Patrick Kisnorbo made up for his mistake against The Owls by scoring the first against Coventry in a 2-1 victory. Loanee Ryan Hall scored his first for the club to double the advantage, rounding the keeper after a terrific move by Leeds and manager Neil Redfearn said that the only disappointment about the game was that we didn’t keep a clean sheet.

Leeds Development vs Barnsley

Paul Rachubka, Nathan Turner, Ricardo Rocha, Ustaritz Aldekoa-Talora, Lewis Turner, Simon Lenighan, Patrick Kisnorbo, Zac Thompson, Sanchez Payne, Patrick Antelmi, Dominic Poleon. SUBS. Eric Grimes, Monty Gimpel, Stephen Folan, Ross Killock, Jeremy Balmy. 
 
Leeds Development vs Huddersfield Town

Paul Rachubka, Nathan Turner, Stephen Folan, Zac Thompson, Ricardo Rocha, Patrick Kisnorbo, Simon Lenighan, Dominic Poleon, Patrick Antelmi, Joan Pons, Lewis Turner. SUBS. Chris Dawson.

Leeds Development vs Sheffield Wednesday

Paul Rachubka, Paul Connolly, Patrick Kisnorbo, Stephen Folan, Lewis Turner, Simon Lenighan, Nathan Turner, Jeremy Balmy, Sanchez Payne, Patrick Antelmi, Luke Parkin. SUBS. Eric Grimes, Chris Dawson, Lewis Walters.

Leeds Development vs Coventry City

Paul Rachubka, Paul Green, Patrick Kisnorbo, Monty Gimpel, Charlie Taylor, Nathan Turner, Simon Lenighan, Lewis Turner, Ryan Hall, Patrick Antelmi, Sanchez Payne. SUBS. Lewis Walters.

Goalscorers. (Overall)
Dominic Poleon  4
Patrick Antelmi   3 
Ramon Nunez    1
Lewis Turner      1
Chris Dawson    1
Peter Poloskei   1
Zac Thompson  1
Patrick Kisnorbo 1
Ryan Hall 1


The first game for the u18’s was at Thorp Arch against Huddersfield. The youngsters hammered their  opposition 4-0 with goals from Luke Parkin, Chris Dawson and Lewis Walters giving Leeds a 3-0 lead at half time. Luke Parkin grabbed his second of the game in the second half and completed the rout.
Leeds could and probably should have had more such was their domination.

 A younger than usual Leeds side rose to the top of their league with a 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday two weeks later. Alex Mowatt and Lewis Cook were the scorers in what was a keenly contested meeting between the two clubs. The defence were singled out for high praise by manager Richard Naylor, especially Jake Skelton and Afalobi Coker in the heart of it.

The u18’s cemented their place at the summit of the league by thrashing CoventryCity 6-1 at home. Luke Parkin and Kalvin Phillips both scored two a-piece, the latter coming from the bench. Chris Dawson and Lewis Walters both got in on the goalscoring action as well. The victory was made all the more impressive because defender Jake Skelton was dismissed for two bookable offences with twenty minutes to go.

Leeds u18’s vs Huddersfield Town

Eric Grimes, Luke Booker, Jake Skelton, Afalobi Coker, Smith Tiesse, Alex Purver, Alex Mowatt, Lewis Cook, Chris Dawson, Lewis Walters, Luke Parkin. SUBS. Dan Atkinson, Eoghan Stokes, Tyler Denton, Piteu Chydrick, Kalvin Phillips.

Leeds u18’s vs Sheffield Wednesday

Dan Atkinson, Lewie Coyle, Smith Tiesse, Jake Skelton, Afalobi Coker, Alex Purver, Alex Mowatt, Tyler Denton, Lewis Cook, Kalvin Phillips, Eoghan Stokes. SUBS. Luke Booker, Tom Lyman.

Leeds u18’s vs Coventry City

Eric Grimes, Lewie Coyle, Smith Tiesse, Jake Skelton, Afalobi Coker, Alex Purver, Alex Mowatt, Lewis Cook, Chris Dawson, Lewis Walters, Luke Parkin. SUBS. Dan  Atkinson, Luke Booker, Ali Amiri, Kalvin Phillips, Eoghan Stokes.

Goalscorers. (Overall)

Lewis Walters   7
Luke Parkin      6
Chris Dawson  3
Lewis Cook      2
Alex Mowatt     2
Kalvin Phillips  2


The Future’s Bright! The Future’s White!

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