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Post by Keithsson on May 28, 2023 10:26:25 GMT
New season, new thread. For all that preceded this point please view the archive thread... WFC U18's Archive Thread - Link
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Post by worthingwire on Jul 16, 2023 11:58:02 GMT
League fixtures for the Under 18s now published on club's website.
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Post by worthingwire on Aug 16, 2023 16:39:27 GMT
Just a few things which people might be interested in as the new season looms into view for our Youth teams: - The U18s are playing a friendly at home tomorrow afternoon (2pm KO) against Aldershot Town
- The first Isthmian League game for the 18s is away at Bognor next Monday (21st) - 7:45pm KO. Then it's the first round of the Isthmian League Cup, the following Tuesday 29th, at home to.... Bognor
- The club are running an additional Youth team this season - previously 14s & 15s have played in the Mid Sussex Youth League, 16s have played in the U18 SCFL West, with 18s in the Isthmian South, and the Academy in the National League Alliance.
This year there will be 14s, 15s AND 16s in the MSYL, an 18s County side, an 18s Isthmian side and the Academy, which is U19.
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Post by virgs1 on Aug 19, 2023 9:47:47 GMT
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Post by worthingwire on Aug 22, 2023 7:11:51 GMT
Isthmian Youth League South - Matchday 1
Bognor Regis Town 0 Worthing 7 (SEVEN)
Our Under 18 Isthmian side commenced the defence of their league title last night, running out comfortable winners against a spirited, but ultimately outclassed Bognor team.
Early exchanges were fairly cagey, with several Worthing attacks scuppered by the combination of Bognor's high defensive line, a flag-happy linesman and some admittedly badly timed runs. The deadlock was broken, however, as the clock ticked towards the half-hour mark - Freddie Chester's surging run from midfield culminated in a slide rule pass to Cavan Gratwick, who was able to celebrate his birthday by slotting past the 'keeper.
Two further goals followed just before the interval - good work down the right saw full-back Zach Jeanes fire into the far corner, while a minute or so later, Jack McLelland was able to capitalise on a defensive mix-up in the Bognor box, reacting smartly to poke the ball home.
With a three goal cushion for the Reds, and Bognor posing little to no threat, the second half came to resemble an attack vs defence session. Within 10 minutes of the restart, Chester's free kick from 20 yards rebounded from the post, and Evan Hoarty marked his return to action following a year out with injury with a simple tap-in for the 4th. An intelligent and explosive combination between Jeanes and Luca Allen, again down Worthing's right flank, resulted in McLelland claiming his 2nd of the evening in the 70th minute, while 10 minutes later, (first year) substitute Costin Manchester skipped through two or three challenges close to the byline, capping his mazy dribble with a neat finish from a tight angle. The 7th goal arrived in added time - after a series of agonisingly close misses, Allen found himself a pocket of space in the Bognor area, and rolled the ball into the corner to complete the scoring.
The side will, no doubt, face bigger challenges over the course of the season, but this was an encouraging start. Two new signings, Jeanes and midfielder Luke Harrison, slotted in seamlessly, while first year Danny Jordan put in a very assured display at centre-back.
The two sides meet again at Woodside next Tuesday, 7:45 KO, in the first round of the Isthmian League Cup.
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Post by virgs1 on Aug 22, 2023 16:39:24 GMT
Thanks for this worthingwire this is great. Perhaps send to media@worthingfc.com so they can upload to the website? I see the score was uploaded which is great but this certainly gives a greater insight. Look forward to more match reports if you end up doing them.
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Post by wwrebel on Aug 25, 2023 22:31:43 GMT
Home tie in the FA Youth Cup 1st Qualifying Round vs Eastbourne Borough.
Fixture scheduled for week beginning 18th September.
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Post by worthingwire on Aug 28, 2023 10:40:49 GMT
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Post by worthingwire on Aug 30, 2023 8:43:29 GMT
Isthmian Youth League Cup
Worthing 7 Bognor Regis Town 4
The two sides met again last night, with Nathan ringing the changes - new signings Joste, Castanheira and Berry were drafted into the starting line up, while 3 first years, Warner, Collier and Downie were also handed starts.
In similar fashion to last week's game, the first 15 minutes or so were largely uneventful. Worthing's greater ability to retain possession saw them gradually begin to dominate territorially, and by the 30th minute the young Reds were 3 goals to the good. Berry's pass released Allen for the first, Hoarty & Allen combined on the left of the box for McLelland to grab the second, and Hoarty notched the third from a very tight angle after some good footwork near the byline.
The fourth was almost a replica of the first, this time Berry's pass was from much deeper, but the net result was the same, Allen racing clear to fire past the keeper, while just before half-time, a smart reverse pass from Castanheira bisected the Bognor defence and McLelland didn't need a second invitation to add to the scoreline.
Within a minute of the restart, Hoarty skipped clear down the left, his cut-back picking out McLelland in the box, who finished calmly to complete his hat-trick. Game over? Now Bognor deserve some credit for what came next - having conceded 13 goals across the two fixtures thus far, they suddenly decided to do something about this state of affairs. A superb strike on 50 minutes from Holland looked like a consolation, but by the 57th minute they had added two more, and at 6-3 Worthing were looking a LOT less comfortable.
Things had got a bit ragged by now - a foul on McLelland in the 75th minute led to captain for the evening Ben Royall converting from the spot, reducing the slight anxiety that had seemed to afflict the Worthing boys. There was still time for Bognor to add a 4th in the closing stages, but Worthing's first half blitz was enough to see the Reds progress into the next round.
An entertaining game on the whole - some flashes of real quality from Worthing at times, and while the rather ramshackle defending at points in the second half will not have pleased the coaching staff, it certainly added to the excitement for the spectators.
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Post by worthingwire on Sept 10, 2023 15:59:11 GMT
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Post by worthingwire on Sept 13, 2023 7:51:27 GMT
Isthmian Youth League South - Matchday 2
Worthing 4 Horsham YMCA 0
'YM' completed a league double over our 18s last season, but any prospect of history repeating itself petered out almost immediately, Luca Allen opening the scoring after 6 minutes. Which was obviously early enough in the game for YMCA to have time to mount a fightback - however, for the remainder of the first half they were content to stay in their low block, their back 7 restricting the space for Worthing to create many clear-cut scoring opportunities. The pressure told on 24 minutes, when Luca threaded a pass between two defenders, teeing up Evan Hoarty who rolled the ball across the keeper into the far corner. At 2 down, perhaps a response would be forthcoming from the visitors, but the fact that they could barely get on the ball made this a difficult ask.
Worthing began the second half brightly, a couple of early chances going just wide. YMCA had, though, now decided to have a bit more of a go, and began to nudge their percentage of possession into double figures. Home keeper Kristen Murphy was required to make an excellent save at one point, and centre back Cam Joste snuffed out several opposition attacks with some impressive defensive work. Nevertheless, Worthing's extra quality was always likely to tell, Cavan Gratwick notching the 3rd on the hour mark with a tidy finish, and claiming his second of the night in the dying seconds of the contest.
Another bloodless victory for the Under 18s then, 6 league points out of 6 secured, with 11 goals for and none conceded thus far. They are yet to be seriously tested, so it remains to be seen how they will cope with stronger opposition - next up are Eastbourne Borough at home in the FA Youth Cup, which I think will be on Tuesday 19th September, though this is TBC at present.
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Post by worthingwire on Sept 18, 2023 19:47:32 GMT
This is tomorrow evening - got the date wrong
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Post by worthingwire on Sept 20, 2023 8:56:04 GMT
FA Youth Cup - 1st Round Qualifying
Worthing 4 Eastbourne Borough 2
In filthy weather conditions, our Under 18s advanced to the next stage of the FA Youth Cup last night, though progress was far from serene.
Typically, Worthing scored first, and scored early - on 8 minutes, Evan Hoarty's corner from the left was nodded back from the far post by Ben Royall, and Luke Harrison was able to capitalise on the Eastbourne defence's failure to clear, hooking the ball home for his first goal for the club. Eastbourne equalised after 20 minutes, a cross from the right looked to have too much on it, but Wood got there and finished with some style.
Worthing responded quickly, with some neat interplay between Luca Allen and Stan Berry enabling Cavan Gratwick to flick home from close range. The young Reds continued to dominate possession, and were rewarded just before the break, as Stan fired in from the edge of the box.
Though Worthing started the second half brightly, their composure began to ebb away as Eastbourne gradually came to assert themselves. A penalty to the visitors on the hour mark reduced the deficit to one, and but for some excellent defending from Danny Jordan and Ben Cheverton, plus a superb save from Kristen Murphy, Borough would have deservedly drawn level. The final twenty minutes or so saw Worthing become increasingly ragged, and make no mistake, the lads were hanging on a bit here. It took a moment of quality from Cavan in added time to put the game to bed as he claimed his second of the evening - while Luca and sub Costin Manchester were both denied at the very end by a determined Eastbourne 'keeper.
Into the hat for the next round then, but this 'first half good, second half not so good' is becoming a recurring theme, and if the boys are to make significant progress in this competition, they will need to eliminate this trait sooner rather than later.
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Post by worthingwire on Sept 22, 2023 15:27:36 GMT
Abbey Rangers away in the FA Youth Cup 2nd Round Qualifying.
Which looks an OK draw on paper.
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Post by worthingwire on Oct 3, 2023 15:34:07 GMT
FA Youth Cup 2nd Round Qualifying
Abbey Rangers 1 Worthing 12 (TWELVE)
Torrential rain and menacingly dark skies on the journey.
The hosts taking the lead within 90 seconds after a calamitous mix-up at the back.
The portents seemed gloomy at the Chertsey home of Abbey Rangers FC. With Thorpe Park just up the road, was a potential Fright Night on the cards here for the Worthing FC Under 18s in this FA Youth Cup tie?
Happily, the lads soon banished any such prospect - they levelled the scores almost instantaneously, and took the lead with 6 minutes on the clock, both goals coming from Evan Hoarty. After 20 minutes, Luca Allen added our third, and coming up to the half-hour mark, Zac Jeanes broke at great pace down the right, his cross being turned in smartly by Jack McLelland. Jack nabbed his second on 38 minutes, showing good tenacity to pressure the Rangers defence, poking the ball home after the goalie failed to deal with a back pass. A couple of minutes later, Evan struck again to claim his hat-trick, his shot from 20 yards flying in to the keeper's left - giving the young Rebels a 6-1 lead to take into the half-time interval.
Previous matches this season have seen the lads wobble a bit in the second period, but there was a business-like determination to their work this evening. Good build up play in the 50th minute left Cavan Gratwick able to pick his spot from 12 yards out, the entire Abbey defence statuesque as he drilled the ball beyond the by now rather despondent goalkeeper. The hosts managed to stem the tide for the next 20 minutes or so, though were rarely able to maintain any significant possession.
Worthing were not letting up, and the relentless pressure told eventually, Zac climbing highest to glance a header home on 75 minutes. From hereon, all semblance of resistance evaporated, Luca added two goals (one a penalty) to complete his hat-trick, Cavan's tireless running saw him claim his second of the evening in the 89th minute, and with virtually the last kick of the game, Evan's fairly innocuous effort from 20 yards out managed to elude the thoroughly demoralised opposition keeper, thus sending Worthing through to the next round with a 12-1 victory.
Like the first team, our 18s are now just one win away from the First Round Proper.
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