The Everton Under 18s game against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday lunchtime confirmed the rich promise that we are beginning to see at youth level. Malik Olayiwola (main picture), an England Under 17 international
at just 16 years of age is typical but he is not alone.
We had to wait until the 39th minute to get the breakthrough but a fantastic left wing corner by Kean Wren arced over everybody to the very far post where Ray Robert used his poacher’s instinct to nod home, 1-0.
Six minutes later, as the interval approached, a delightful long ball by centre back Lewis Evans fell nicely for Olayiwola who showed pace and composure to pass the ball home, 2-0.
It was, again, the latter stages of the second half when the Blues put the result beyond doubt. Again , Evans placed a nice ball down the left for Robert to control and lay the ball off for the underlapping Louis Poland. The left back kept his balance and composure to score neatly at the near post under pressure from Rovers’ defence, 3-0.
Any hopes of a Blackburn comeback were truly dashed when a smart move down the Everton right saw Charlie Stewart emerge on the right of the area and pull back the ball for Olayiwola to bag his brace. It was a good cut-back but expert positioning by the 16 year old to finish the scoring, 4-0.
The goals from Robert and Olayiwola took their season tally to 4 goals each, joining Kean Wren and Ceiran Loney on the same number, so goals are being spread throughout the team. See the game highlights below:
Meanwhile, after the disappointment of the Vertu Trophy defeat last Tuesday, it was nice to see Paul Tait’s Everton Under-21s bounce back just 3 days later. A shorter journey this time to the West Midlands to take on their West Bromwich Albion counterparts.
The Blues were again missing star right back George Finney through suspension but it’s created an opportunity instead for Luca Davis, normally a centre back, but taking to the right back berth like a duck to water. Again, a back 5 to make use of the experience of Reece Welch and skipper Eli Campbell.
It was Everton who took an early lead in the 9th minute as, following strong work by Callum Bates and Joshua Van Schoor, the Baggies’ defence only partially cleared the ball. Little did they suspect that Jack Patterson, from 25 yards, would catch the ball so sweetly and he thundered the ball home (see below), 1-0.
We next saw Patterson do what he’s better known for, in the 19th minute, throwing in a great firm but fair tackle, releasing George Morgan whose flick was neatly into the path of Braiden Graham. The young Irishman (see below) lit the first of his 18 birthday candles with a nice finish, 2-0.
The celebrations were not over for Graham that quickly though as he finished off a great piece of work by stand-in right back Luca Davis who showed an “Iliman N’diaye” neat turn of feet. Though the headlines will be grabbed by Graham, he was quick to acknowledge the role played by Davis who, unbelievably, was only playing his fourth 45 minutes as a right back, 3-0 within the first 45 minutes and that’s how it stayed.
We have to wait until Tuesday November 25th for the next U21 action, away to Rochdale in the National League Cup. The U18s will be at home to Burnley just 30 minutes earlier on the same night, so resources will be stretched to the limit but on these showings the Blues’ teams have nothing to fear.
