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U21's vs. Everton (H) Mon 15th Apr - Match Report


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Middlesbrough U21’s hosted Everton in what could have been a great game of football had it not been for the awful cross wind that effected any ball that wasn’t on the ground.

 

Boro lined up in a 4-4-2 formation which was matched by the visitors from Merseyside.

 

Middlesbrough were quick out of the blocks Jordan Jones on the left was up against the experienced Tony Hibbert but I didn’t affect the young Boro player. He was straight after the Everton man, running directly at him before jinking and beating him with a lovely flip-flop move. His cross went antagonising past everyone though inside the 6 yard box.

 

It didn’t take long for Boro to attack again, Ryan Brobbel chased down Everton keeper Mason Springthorpe as he was about to clear it and nicked the ball off the keeper before turning and finding Bradley Fewster who opened his body and side footed the ball past the covering defender to give Middlesbrough the lead!

 

GOAL BORO – Fewster 1-0

 

Straight from the restart Boro were pressuring each and every Everton touch, and I nearly paid off. Fewster burst towards the box and was tripped right on the line. The referee chose to give a free kick. Cameron Park stepped up and struck the ball sweetly and it took a deflection off the wall causing the scrambling Springthorpe to reach backwards to tip over fantastically.

 

The opening period of the game was all Middlesbrough but a lot of this was down to the wind, it was behind the home team and worked against Everton who saw clearances come back towards them.

 

Ryan Brobbel saw a right foot strike from distance fly just wide of the Everton goal.

 

Bradley Fewster had the ball in the net moments later, but was adjudged to have fouled as he tussled with his marker and broke free to score. The young 1st year was having an impressive half, laying the ball off and moving well in the channels.

 

Everton did get used to the wind and came into the game more and more as the minutes ticked by. They broke after a poor Lewis Sirrell pass and Boro Captain Christian Burgess stepped forward and clipped Christopher Long’s heels stopping the Everton break instantly. He received a talking to but that was nothing compared to the 3 on 2 break the Toffee’s could have had!

 

Jordan Jones was still pushing Hibbert back a good one two passing move saw the young Boro player burst past his man and into the space beyond but it came to nothing.

 

The other 1st year involved for Boro was Bryn Morris, the England U17 captain. He was playing a holding midfield role and moved forward to strike a thunderous drive just over the Everton goal, keeper Mason Springthorpe was at full stretch trying to make sure the ball was going wide.

 

Everton hit Middlesbrough with a perfect counter attack goal to level things up. Conor Grant flicked the ball on beautifully to Christopher Grant, he flew down the Everton right and past the covering defender before pulling the ball across the Boro goal where Matthew Kennedy was waiting to tap the ball into the net to level the scores up!

 

GOAL EVERTON – 1-1 Kennedy

 

Despite the set back Boro were quick to get back onto the attack, a short corner went to Lewis Sirrell and he cut back onto his left foot before firing a dipping shot towards the Everton goal, Springthorpe seemed to have gone to early but got a hand out to tip the ball over and keep the scores level.

 

As the half drew to a close Christian Burgess blocked an Everton shot well, and on the stroke of half time Boro failed to capitalise on a 4 on 3 break.

 

Half Time Middlesbrough 1 (Fewster) Everton 1 (Kennedy)

 

Everton started the 2nd half like Boro did the 1st, Christopher Long hit a low drive that Ripley went down low to his left to save. Moment’s later midfielder Fancisco Junior hit a venomous strike that went away from Ripley’s goal.

 

Christopher Long was a thorn in the side of Boro and the creator of Everton’s best chances, he cut in from the right before laying the ball off to the overlapping Hibbert. Christian burgess went over to block the cross but as he slid in his hand was raised and the ball deflected off it. Penalty to Everton. Vellios stepped up and put it to Ripley’s left sending the keeper the wrong way.

 

GOAL EVERTON – Vellios Pen 1-2

 

Everton sub – Hope off, Warning off.

 

Middlesbrough were really struggling against the wind to create clear cut chances, one of the few efforts they had was by Fewster and it was blocked for a corner.

Boro sub – Pereira off, Kneeshaw on.

Boro sub – Fewster off, Waters on.

 

Boro sub – Morris off, Rhoden on.

 

In the last 15 minutes and Middlesbrough upped their effort again, Jordan Jones cut across the box from the left but sliced his shot. Brazilian Marcos Rhoden had a low drive that was straight at Everton stopped Springthorpe. And Springthorpe made sure Everton went home with the 3 points when Jones again cut across the box before pulling his shot back towards the opposite post, the keeper full stretch to his right pulled off a superb one handed stop though.

 

FULL TIME Middlesbrough 1 (Fewster) Everton 2 (Kennedy, Vellios Pen)

 

Boro: Ripley, Bennett, Sirrell, Morris (Rhoden), Burgess ©, Jackson, Brobbel, Jones, Fewster (Waters), Pereira (Kneeshaw), Park

 

Unused: Fryer (GK), Okosieme.

 

Everton: Springthorpe, Hibbert, Garbutt, Junior, Stones, Browning, Long, Grant, Vellios, Hope (Warning), Kennedy.

 

Unused: Griffiths, Hammar, Molyneux, Pennington.

 

 

Thoughts/Man of the Match.

Jones did well up against an experienced Premier league full back, Morris was very good protecting the back 4, he had little defensively to do first half but showed good distribution. Brobbel was a live wire setting up the goal. Fewster took his goal well and ran tirelessly. Bennett was strong at full back against physically superior players, never letting any player past and was ‘Terrier like’ in the hunt for the ball.

 

For me the Man of the Match was Captain Burgess. With the ball in the air a lot he was like a wall. Strong, solid and towering above many a Everton player. He brought the ball out of defence well to start Boro attacks. He showed excellent anticipation coming out to block a shot in the first half and was slightly unlucky to have the penalty given against him. With McManus looking like he is gone this summer and Andre Bikey only having a 1 year option the club may not take up Burgess is looking every bit like a possible future first teamer.

 

England U20 manager Peter Taylor was in the crowd supposedly watching Everton’s Luke Garbutt for the future England U20 World Cup squad that will be selected for this summer’s competition. Hopefully he will have been surprised by a few of the younger Boro players.

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Who is he going to be paired with in the first team on Saturday? And are you talking about as a centre back? (Gibson plays left back very well!)

 

And before i answer id have to look at how Bolton play, do they cross, do they have a target man, do they have a mobile, agile striker, which side do they play etc.

 

Thats all stuff that comes into my head :D Shows how im mentally wrong huh! haha

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I would think either would be better with woody to help them. Not sre bikeys im never at fault or rhyses quite approach would help. So as a CB would you say burgess is the better option , and i thought gibson was a CB at tranmere I think burgess is pretty close to being good enough but ive not seen gibson

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Rich, Burgess is a big lad and when he first came he was a lovely footballer with the ball on the floor. As a header of the ball he was better than Emnes.

 

I haven't seen him for a while but if he is now capable of commanding an airial battle, as Powlay suggests, then the academy coaching staff may have put the one missing ingredient into his play that will give him a real chance of making a centre back spot his own.

 

Gibson is quiet and well behaved and can play centre back or left back with equal facility. He played most of his football at York as left back for example.

 

Gibson seems to be the natural leader but both are intelligent. It is to be hoped that they will be able to take their chances better than some of the younger lads have done so far this season.

 

and don't forget Jacko either

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