Charlton Cup success caps off fine year for Schoolboys
After the disappointment of defeat to Huyton PSFA in the ESFA Knockout Cup, Sunderland Primary Schoolboys’ District squad soon got back to winning ways.
Here in part two, we continue Sunderland Primary Schoolboys’ review of their season.
The Boys produced an excellentperformanceatDownhill Hub in the Derwent and Medomsley Cup against a very strong South Northumberland.
Jaxon Conlin gave the Boys the lead which was wiped out by two goals from the visitors.
Concerted second half pressure from the home side saw them strike the woodwork three times as the equaliser their efforts deserved wasn’t forthcoming and the visitors progressed to the quarter-finals courtesy of a 2-1 win.
The final Harrison Cup game against Stockton saw another 2-1 defeat at Ford Hub as a solitary Conlin strike couldn’t prevent a defeat which ensured the Boys finished fifth in the table which ensured their entry into the Harry Charlton Trophy in the second half of the season.
Februaryhalftermsawthe squad embark on the annual trip to the Wirral.
After an early start and a tour of Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, the Boys were no match for the Wirral’s Under-11s squad, who comfortably romped home 5-0 in the opening game of the tour.
The following day saw the Boys attempt to retain the Wirral/Sunderland Friendship Trophy, but a 1-0 defeat against the hosts’ Under-11s gotthedefenceofftotheworst possible start.
A double from Dan Smith and a Carter CunninghamBoyd strike saw the Wirral’s Under-10s squad despatched in a 3-0 victory.
Withotherresultsgoingin favouroftheBoys,awininthe final game against Ellesmere Port would have guaranteed the Trophy returned to Sunderland for the third successive occasion.
Despite dominating the game however, wasteful fin
ishing proved costly as it allowedtheoppositiontoclaima 1-0victoryfromtheironlyshot on target in the game.
Aresultwhichcondemned the Boys to a third place finish behind winners Ellesmere Port and The Wirral’s Under11s.
The Charlton Cup campaignbeganatFordHubwitha return match against a strong Stocktonsidewhohadwonon Wearside only a month previous.
In an excellent performance, a penalty from Conlin and a Joshua Baxendell strike gave the Boys a 2-0 lead.
Stockton responded with two goals of their own and wereintheascendencybefore Baxendell raced clear to fire home the decisive fifth goal of agamewhichwasanexcellent advert for district football.
ThefollowingSaturdaysaw avisittoEastNorthumberland in the same competition.
Despite falling a goal behind, the Boys responded well with Baxendell equalising before a header from Cunningham-Boyd gave the side a half time lead.
In a tight second half, Baxendell’s second goal secured a 3-1victorywhichgavetheBoys a 100% record going into the final game of the competition away to Darlington.
Another dominant display saw Sunderland on top for
most of the game, but it wasn’t until the second half that Joseph Pearson broke the deadlockwithanexcellentstrikeat the back post.
Baxendell added a second goalanditwasfittingthatcaptainHarryRyancompletedthe scoring in a 3-1 victory which saw the Boys earn a fourth trophy of the campaign.
A final outing of the season saw Leeds PSFA and Stockton PSFA visit Ford Hub to take part in the Association’s annual Easter tournament.
Centre forward Smith scored in an opening 1-1 draw against Stockton.
TheBoysfoundthemselves 2-0downagainstaverystrong Leeds ‘A’ side before an excellent free-kick from Pearson foundthetopcornerofthenet
to reduce the arrears.
Despite their best efforts, the hosts couldn’t find an equaliser as Leeds held on to maintain their 100% start to the tournament.
The final game of the tournamentagainstLeeds‘B’team saw Smith fire home the only goalofthegamewithhistenth of the season as the squad finished runners up in the competitionbehindLeeds‘A’team.
Manager Chris Lindstedt commented: ‘On behalf of Martin Richards, Martin Young, Warren Mulvaney, Michael Young and myself, I would like to thank the Boys for their efforts this season.
"They have been an absolute pleasure to coach and it has been brilliant to watch them develop both individually as players and people and collectivelyasasquadoverthe course of the season.
“They have been a credit to themselves, their families, theirschoolsandourAssociation and we couldn’t be more proud of them.
“I would also like to say a massive thanks to the parents and grandparents for their support and friendship this season.
“They have also been a credit to SPSFA for the way they have conducted themselves and for the support they have given the squad and management.‘OnceaSunderlandBoy.AlwaysaSunderland Boy.’”
Main picture above outside Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium: Back Row: Martin Richards (Assistant Manager), Chris Lindstedt (Manager).
Middle Row: Joshua Baxendell (Northern Saints), Owen Butler (Northern Saints), George Sly (Hill View), Jaxon Conlin (Bexhill), Harry Ryan (Hill View), Daniel Smith (Redby), Jimmy Peebles (Dame Dorothy)
Front Row: Aaron Tate (Christ's College), Samuel Anderson (Benedict Biscop), Carter Cunningham-Boyd (Christ's College), Joshua Scott (East Herrington), Jack Neesham (St Mary's RC), Joseph Pearson (Mill Hill).