Shelley kids real deal as Berry’s boys seek glory

SHELLEY manager Ash Berry hopes the emergence of Dan Lockwood, Jack Davies and Kieran Taylor on the Hallmark Security North West Counties League scene this season will underline the success of the Huddersfield club’s junior set-up.

While centre-back Lockwood is working his way back to full fitness after an ankle injury picked up two weeks ago, midfielder Davies and striker Taylor – who notched twice on his full debut in last weekend’s 3-1 home win over Holker Old Boys – are both in the squad for today’s First Division North match at St Helens Town.

As well as running four adult sides and a team in the Northern U19 Alliance – for which Davies and Taylor still qualify – Shelley are represented throughout the junior age levels.

“A lot of hard work goes into organisation and coaching throughout the club, and it’s been great to see those three lads come through,” said Berry, who saw the U19s draw 4-4 against Scarborough Athletic at the Stafflex Arena on Monday.

“We want to create pathways, and we want our junior players to know that with the right ability and approach to training, they will get the opportunity at open-age level.”

As well as Lockwood, Berry will go to St Helens without midfielder Dan Keane, who completes a two-match suspension following his sending off during the 3-1 defeat by Avro at the Stafflex.

But new signing Carlton Pownall impressed in his first outing against Holker, and the 23-year-old, from Bradford side Eccleshill United, will look to build on that performance. It’s an artificial surface at the Arcoframe Stadium, providing Shelley with a different challenge to the norm as they seek a seventh away league win and 10th in all.

But four teams – Cleator Moor Celtic, Steeton, Prestwich Heys and Carlisle City – have managed to overcome St Helens on their own territory.

And Shelley, who dropped from fourth to sixth after rivals Prestwich and Lower Breck claimed wins on Tuesday, will also hope to take advantage of fresher legs, with their 15th-placed hosts having been in action on Wednesday, when they went down 3-1 at Avro.

St Helens were formed in 1946 and have a proud history, with former German prisoner of war Bert Trautmann – who went on to make more than 500 appearances in goal for Manchester City – the first in a string of successful products of the club, which also includes Manchester United duo Bill Foulkes and John Connelly, who also played for Burnley and was a member of England’s 1966 World Cup winning squad.

Founder members of the North West Counties League in 1982, they played in the top flight until relegation in 2015.