Wrexham Youth 2
Carlisle United U18 2
Football League Youth Alliance Cup (Northern Section) (Group One)

Match Report

Wrexham’s youngsters came within three minutes of recording their first win of the campaign in an evenly contested encounter with Carlisle United at Stansty. Star of the show was Sam Pilkington who netted twice for the Young Reds before being forced off with cramp late in the second-period.

With both sides having lost their opening matches in the Northern Cup Group 1, the early exchanges were understandably cagey. After seven minutes Matty Sargent sent over a cross which only just eluded the on-rushing Jake Bickerstaff before Carlisle’s Josh Galloway almost capitalised on a hurried clearance from Ben Tinkley, the Cumbrians’ striker firing narrowly wide from the half-way line.

The deadlock was finally broken by Galloway on 27 minutes when a Wrexham free-kick into the box was comfortably caught by United custodian Regan Ward. He immediately cleared the ball quickly downfield catching the Wrexham defence square allowing Galloway to race clear and finish with a neat half-volley that gave Tinkley no chance.

Undeterred, Dan Nolan’s side levelled matters eight minutes later when the impressive Pilkington latched on to a poor back pass and showed superb composure to calmly slot the ball home. Tinkley ensured the scores remained level at the interval with two fine saves, first finger-tipping Galloways’s snap shot past the post before from the resultant corner parrying a point blank header from Keighran Kerr which the Wrexham defence then scrambled away to safety.

The Young Reds began the second-half on the offensive with Sargent heading narrowly wide from a right-wing corner before Pilkington registered his second goal of the afternoon on 52 minutes. The young winger went on a mazy run as he cut in from the right and looked to have let the ball ran away from him before stretching to rifle a low left-foot shot back across the keeper and into the far corner of the net.

Further chances followed for Bobby Beaumont, Sargent and substitute Dylan Allshorn with the impressive Cameron McGregor at the fulcrum of Wrexham’s best attacking play. Allshorn then hit the post before McGregor’s fine turn and shot was saved by Ward. Wrexham’s failure to extend their lead was cruelly punished four seconds from the end of normal time when Galloway made it 2-2 as the visitors late onslaught was duly rewarded.