Bradley 6

Ilkley Youth 1

When Roland Hill invented the postage stamp he surely didn't intend it to be a model for a football pitch and the Guyson sponsored Ilkley Juniors Youth side was unceremoniously dumped out of the League Cup on the equivalent of a penny black.

So the pitch was small and bumpy, Bradley fielded several players with first-team experience, the cup represented Bradley's last chance for any silverware this season, and the referee allowed some Bradley challenges verging on the reckless, but Ilkley Youth's players also produced a poor collective performance, lacking commitment and endeavour.

Without regular goalkeeper Taylor, Joe McTigue once again stood between the

posts and by the end of the game was dreaming of returning to the outfield.

In the first minute Bradley should have scored when dithering defenders required Beaumont to clear off the line, and in the second minute static defenders watched as a cross shot hit the bar and rebounded to safety.

Uninspired by such escapes, the defenders watched once again when McTigue's fumble presented Bradley with a gift first goal in the fifth minute.

Ten minutes gone and two more half-hearted tackles allowed a cross to be tucked into goal unchallenged for a second Bradley goal.

Not content with gifting a two-goal lead, Ilkley Youth went for a hat-trick when McTigue palmed out a corner and Ilkley players stood rooted to the spot as a Bradley player lashed the loose ball into the net. At last, Ilkley Youth players began to show some determination but should it have taken three goals to liven their play? Horne saw a close-range drive bounce to safety off the Bradley goalkeeper and from the corner Bedford headed wide from three yards out.

Bradley challenges became more menacing as Ilkley pushed forward with more purpose and two home players were booked for dangerous tackles. Tod and Rishworth began to compete with more purpose in midfield but wide-players Wheeler and Martin found it difficult to find any room on the small pitch.

Down 3-0 at half-time to a Bradley team that wanted the ball more than Ilkley players who too often were second to the ball, failed to win tackles or allowed Bradley players to dominate space in key areas of the field. The Youth players can only exert a footballing influence on the game when they have the ball and there has to be a collective desire to regain possession rather than an expectation that opponents will concede possession.

The mountain to climb became too steep minutes into the second-half when two defenders and the goalkeeper failed to make an adequate challenge to a near post throw and a Bradley head glanced the ball into the vacant net to make it 4-0. Two more goals followed when communication between defenders and goalkeeper was non-existent, and Bradley capitalised on every Ilkley Youth mistake.

Belatedly, Dixon, Beaumont and Houlston began to show what good players they really are and the final 30 minutes of the game gave substitutes Campbell, Crowther and Tim McTigue an opportunity to gain match experience. In the last ten minutes, Andy Bedford slammed in a consolation goal and Crowther just failed to convert a chance at the far-post but by this stage

Ilkley Youth players were playing for pride not salvation.

David Dixon gained the Man-of-the-Match award and Peter Tod worked tirelessly in midfield. Despite this disappointing performance, the defeat allows Ilkley Youth players to focus on winning league matches as the team has half a season's fixtures to play in March and April. The season so far has been very successful and one poor performance shouldn't detract from the excellent progress made since last season.

Saturday's performance at home to Cononley (K-O 2.30pm) provides the Youth players with an opportunity to show how well they can really play.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.