Jump to content
oneBoro Forum

U21's vs Hartlepool (H) Tues 11th Nov - Match Report


Recommended Posts

It was a case of ‘Welcome back Matthew Bates’ when Middlesbrough met Hartlepool today in the Final Third Development League Cup today. Bates was captaining the Hartlepool side on a cold afternoon at Rockliffe.

 

The first team experienced Emmanuel Ledesma was leading the line for Middlesbrough and he had the first chance for Middlesbrough. Jordan Jones laid the ball off and cut down the wing looking for a return pass but Ledesma cut inside and looked to trouble the keeper from all of 35 yards, but he scuffed his shot and Grant saved easily.

 

Hartlepool attacked whilst Boro struggled to settle and worked a corner well allowing Nearney to rise well unmarked but he headed over.

 

A poor kick from trialist goal keeper Aidan Grant saw the ball fall to the feet of former Hartlepool loanee Ryan Brobbel, he moved it wide left to Jones who dropped his shoulder and went inside then outside beating Carr but not beating Grant at his near post. Ledesma was next to try his luck switch the ball to his left foot and pulling his shot across goal but it was easily saved by Grant.

At the back Boro looked strong and Captain Jonathan Burn looked very comfortable on the ball, he strode forward with purpose unopposed into the opposition half. Laying the ball right to Scott McCarthy the Boro player won a corner which came to nothing.

 

Jordan Jones quickly became Boro’s most creative outlet, he turned Carr inside out before crossing low and hard, Nearney just got to it before Ledesma and cleared for another Boro corner. The corner was well worked with Maloney and Brobbel who passed it into the 18 yard box to Jones and moved for a return pass, Jones laid the ball off into Brobbel’s pass but his driven effort just went over the bar.

 

Jones again had the run of Carr knocking the ball one side and racing around the other on the half way line, he pulled it inside to Ledesma and continued his run into space but the Argentinean chose to cut inside trusting his left foot but he pulled his effort wide of the Hartlepool goal.

 

There was a short break in the game after a facial injury to Jordan Jewson, the ball moved in the air and Burn miss timed his header missing the ball totally and catching Jewson across the face with his arm.

 

Boro had the main of the possession, but were struggling to create real goal scoring opportunity. Mark Kitching came forward into space left by Jones and his left foot cross was met by the head of Scott McCarthy but he couldn’t direct his header and it went wide. Pools continued to try and break Boro down and came closest when Green hit a shot with the outside of his foot from 20 years which flew wide of Coddington’s goal. A block tackle by Maloney nearly cost Boro dear when the ball rebounded into the path of Woods but he shot wide.

 

Boro should have had the lead shortly after, McCarthy crossing and Jordan Jones leaping superbly headed back across goal but the ball just went over the bar! The goal did come though, Jones working it to Brobbel who played in Ledesma, he shot across Grant who got a hand to it but the ball nestled in the back of the net anyway.

 

GOAL BORO – Ledesma 1-0

 

Boro then lost not one but two players to injury McCarthy was struggling when Andre Bennett and Lewis Maloney collided the Boro midfielder knocking his knee.

 

Boro Sub - Maloney off, Griffiths on, McCarthy off, Chapman on.

 

Half Time – Middlesbrough 1 (Ledesma) Hartlepool 0

 

Jonathan Maxted replaced Aidan Grant in the Pools goal and he was quick into the action early in the second half, Ryan Brobbel tried to curl one in from the left hand side of the box and the Pools keeper got down well saving superbly with his left hand. It was all Boro, David Atkinson who returned from a loan at Pools without making a appearance played a great cross field ball from right to left to find Jones, he again turned Carr inside then out before unleashing a superb drive that rebounded off the far post! Soon after Ledesma broke in the middle of the field and laid the ball off to Brobbel who put the ball across the keeper and into the net!

 

GOAL BORO – Brobbel 2-0

 

It could have been 3, when Ledesma rose well from an Andre Bennett cross his header looked set for the net but Mexted tipped it onto the bar and over.

 

Harry Chapman, a first year scholar started to find his feet and cause Darren Holden some problems. The young winger sliced past the pools defenders onto his right foot and hit a powerful shot come cross across the pools goal but Boro had no one to knock it home. Priestly Griffiths in the Boro midfield was working hard, he closed down Woods going across the Boro box and the Hartlepool player seemed to come off second best. Moments later he was still holding his side before going down and being replaced by Dylan Armstrong.

 

Chapman again caused problems on the right getting a low shot away but it was well saved at the near post, Ledesma had a great chance to put the game out of reach breaking clear only to fail in an attempted chip when other options seemed more suitable. Former Boro youth Tom Mitchinson came on for Jewson in the Pools midfield and straight away had an impact moving the ball round well.

 

Boro had chances to extend the lead though, Brobbel opened his body up to shoot straight at the keeper and Boro were made to sweat when Mitchinson hit a low drive across Boro keeper Coddington into the net to set up a finish which wasn’t anticipated.

 

GOAL HARTLEPOOL – Tom Michinson 2-1

 

Boro Sub – Ledesma off, Jowers on.

 

Jordan Jowers who scored at the weekend came on for Ledesma but in all fairness he had little to do but chase the ball as Hartlepool pushed for the leveller, it so nearly came when Mitchinson tried to place it but the ball curled away from Coddingtons goal and the ref blew for full time.

 

Full Time – Middlesbrough 2 (Ledesma, Brobbel) Hartlepool 1

 

Middlesbrough: Coddington, Bennett, Atkinson, Burn ©, Kitching, Tinkler, McCarthy (Chapman 44), Maloney (Griffiths 44), Ledesma (Jowers 83), Brobbel, Jones.

Unused: Dawson (GK), Weledji.

Hartlepool: Grant (Maxted 46), Carr, Holden, Green, Nearney, Bates, Hawkins, Jewson (Mitchinson 70), Fenwick, Woods (Armstrong 63), Smith.

Unused: Wood, Varga.

 

Thoughts/Man of the Match.

Boro could have been out of sight early on had Ledesma chose to pass rather than shoot time and time again. A focal attacking point seemed missing as Ledesma was also often stranded with no one near him. Jones had Carr all over the place on the left beating his man with skill, pace and combinations of both! Brobbel looked very lively on his return from loan and Captain Jonathan Burn looks solid and athletic at the back. Ex-Boro youth Mitchinson showed a lot in 20 minutes for pools at the end. But as a man of the match it’s hard to look past Jones who offers something that excites people on the sidelines. He can beat a man, he can look a goal threat and he has an end product.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Great to see the match reports back Powlay, something missing from the forum without them.

 

Excellent to see both the U18 and U21 doing so well, bodes for a good future.

 

Thanks again Powlay, great report as always.

Link to post
Share on other sites

With regards to Ledesma being a mainstay in the U21s lately, how much influence do you think he is having over the young lads? Are they learning from his experience, is he a benefit playing there while out of the first team? Or is he literally just playing for the U21s cause he can't get a game for the seniors?


Oh and echo Macca's sentiments, love reading these reports and tracking progress of the young ones, you and Shaun on twitter are must follows.

Link to post
Share on other sites

If you look at some of the youngsters they dont seem overly impressed with Ledesma, he slows the game down and at times he is more selfish than not which is to the detriment of the team. but he does have that bit of class about him and can destroy sides when its going right.

 

Is he a benefit? at times, a hindrance at others. But its keeping him match fit isnt it?

 

And thanks for the kind words its much appreciated, especially as i dont get paid in anyway for my reports and youth stuff.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Agree with the sentiments regarding your threads it seems our under 18s and 21s are having good seasons this year. Going off topic I was just wondering if you knew what has happened to Adam Jackson. I seem to remember him being highly rated and he was very close breaking into the first team. However he just seems to have disappeared off the radar.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Agree with the sentiments regarding your threads it seems our under 18s and 21s are having good seasons this year. Going off topic I was just wondering if you knew what has happened to Adam Jackson. I seem to remember him being highly rated and he was very close breaking into the first team. However he just seems to have disappeared off the radar.

 

I echo Chris's sentiments, thanks for the comments neverbefore (Whats your twitter name by the way?)

 

With regards to Adam Jackson, he had a horrific injury about a year ago, just after one of the best games Ive seen him play away at Blackburn. He played in a friendly v Sunderland in September but broke down again shortly after. Hes now back and played nearly 70 mins in a U21 friendly away versus Sheffield Wednesday last week and hopefully will be involved on Monday v Hull.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Its @thekevinmuldoon (im the one whos always tweeting about tv shows or how ireland are gonna win the next european championship). :)

 

Whats your impression on the impact of a senior player like ledesma spending so much time with the youths by the way?i find it interesting, because mostly when you see senior players included in these squads its to improve fitness for when they return to the senior squad. For manu its obviously been different. First hand, have you seen his influence provide anything different for the young uns in terms of their education?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...