Rotherham v U23s

[larkymasher]

Not at the game today but my usual watchers were in attendance. Very good win and performance from all over the park. By all accounts should have been 6 or maybe 7 1.

Long..... Graham Semple Kelly.......... Bennett Reed Slater Brookes Mallon........ Hallam Wright jnr

Rotherham had first team players Odemwingie & Blackstock up top and to be fair the both of them took a bit of a battering from our back three. Semple marked Blackstock whilst Graham and Kelly soundly dealt with Odemwingie depending what side he was on. These three were physical, strong ,excellent in the air and to be honest some of the distribution was top drawer.

Bennett was a little quiet and came off after 50 mins but Mallon on the left was very good. driving at the defenders.

Slater, Reed and Brookes were a really good three. Slater buzzing around but with the quality of Reed and Brookes around him.

Hallam was quiet first half but picked up second and should have had a hatrick.

Wright was first class yet again. He is a right handful, strong, nasty and an eye for goal. Not sure where he will go at the club as he is 20 years old but 23s watchers I think like him a lot.

Football is a funny game..... I know weekly salary is not what makes a player but if you take Semple and Graham who earn £100 a week scholar wages and Blackstock and Odemwingie on £20k per week between them, then the two young Blades defenders should be well pleased with their efforts today. The two Rotherham forwards should be embarrassed with their performances.

By all accounts the 23s best performance of the season.

 

[Grappler]

Official write up........

United's U23s maintained their 100% record in the Central League Cup with an impressive victory over a senior Rotherham side at the Roundwood Sports Complex on Wednesday afternoon.


Striker Jake Wright bagged a brace, with David Brooks and substitute Harvey Gilmour also getting on the scoresheet against the Millers, who included the likes of Kelvin Wilson, Peter Odemwingie and Dexter Blackstock in their starting XI.


After a positive start, the Blades went ahead in the 21st minute, with WRIGHT lashing home on the turn after good work from Bennett.


The duo combined again moments later, but this time from Bennett's cross Wright header wide.
United continued to boss the first-half and should have had a greater advantage at the interval, with defenders Semple and Graham both wasting good chances.


But United did double the lead within a couple of minutes of the restart and it was WRIGHT who was on hand to finish off a swift counter attack.


Two quickly became three in the 50th minute with BROOKS curling home from a free-kick, giving Bilboe no chance.


The Millers offered some brief resistance and pulled a goal back through WILSON, but hope of a comeback were brief as United engineered a number of further goalscoring opportunities.


And with less than 10 minutes remaining, GILMOUR, who was one of four of the five permitted substitutes used, reacted quickest to net a fourth after Bilboe failed to hold the initial effort.


Academy Manager Travis Binnion was full of praise for the application and attitude of the Blades.
He remarked: "We dominated from start-to-finish against senior opposition.


"We were excellent throughout, we were aggressive, we pressed and we took our chances.


"We make demands of the players in these games and everyone applied themselves in a positive manner, which is pleasing."


Blades: Long, Bennett (Cummings 52), Mallon, Graham, Kelly, Semple, Slater, Reed (Gilmour 77), Wright (K. Smith 83), Brooks, Hallam (Hirst 71).
Unused: Warhurst.


Read more at http://www.sufc.co.uk/news/article/...erham-united-3501650.aspx#4HXppwbLellL7iQt.99

 

[Grappler]

Not at the game today but my usual watchers were in attendance. Very good win and performance from all over the park. By all accounts should have been 6 or maybe 7 1.

Long..... Graham Semple Kelly.......... Bennett Reed Slater Brookes Mallon........ Hallam Wright jnr

Rotherham had first team players Odemwingie & Blackstock up top and to be fair the both of them took a bit of a battering from our back three. Semple marked Blackstock whilst Graham and Kelly soundly dealt with Odemwingie depending what side he was on. These three were physical, strong ,excellent in the air and to be honest some of the distribution was top drawer.

Bennett was a little quiet and came off after 50 mins but Mallon on the left was very good. driving at the defenders.

Slater, Reed and Brookes were a really good three. Slater buzzing around but with the quality of Reed and Brookes around him.

Hallam was quiet first half but picked up second and should have had a hatrick.

Wright was first class yet again. He is a right handful, strong, nasty and an eye for goal. Not sure where he will go at the club as he is 20 years old but 23s watchers I think like him a lot.

Football is a funny game..... I know weekly salary is not what makes a player but if you take Semple and Graham who earn £100 a week scholar wages and Blackstock and Odemwingie on £20k per week between them, then the two young Blades defenders should be well pleased with their efforts today. The two Rotherham forwards should be embarrassed with their performances.

By all accounts the 23s best performance of the season.

"...Wright was first class yet again. He is a right handful, strong, nasty and an eye for goal. Not sure where he will go at the club as he is 20 years old but 23s watchers I think like him a lot......"

He took a real bruising at the hands of the Reading lads a few weeks back, at the 3-3 draw at BDTBL, but kept getting back up. Took a nasty elbow to the back of the head, which saw him go nose to nose with the Reading player.

When I first saw him play at Hallam FC, he was a handful back then and when he came back to play Hallam, with an SUFC side, a few months ago, he was making crunching tackles, full blooded.

I honestly hope the lad amounts to something, he is a handful up front.

 

[larkymasher]

Wright Jnr was on loan at York City and doing very well. For some reason he was recalled and has been playing for the 23s since.

Playing first team week in week out at York would seem a logical next step for the lad. Strange he was called back...

 

[Grappler]

Wright Jnr was on loan at York City and doing very well. For some reason he was recalled and has been playing for the 23s since.

Playing first team week in week out at York would seem a logical next step for the lad. Strange he was called back...

Yes I was surprised when he was called back. I agree, he would be better off playing first team for someone, week in, week out, but he does provide that "bite" up front for the U23's and maybe Travis needs him there for that reason, to help bring the other lads along?

 

[EddieColquhoun]

Wright Jnr was on loan at York City and doing very well. For some reason he was recalled and has been playing for the 23s since.

Playing first team week in week out at York would seem a logical next step for the lad. Strange he was called back...

Wilder spoke the other day of letting McNulty go and then shortly after being down to one fit striker.

 

[Treeton Blade]

"...Wright was first class yet again. He is a right handful, strong, nasty and an eye for goal. Not sure where he will go at the club as he is 20 years old but 23s watchers I think like him a lot......"

He took a real bruising at the hands of the Reading lads a few weeks back, at the 3-3 draw at BDTBL, but kept getting back up. Took a nasty elbow to the back of the head, which saw him go nose to nose with the Reading player.

When I first saw him play at Hallam FC, he was a handful back then and when he came back to play Hallam, with an SUFC side, a few months ago, he was making crunching tackles, full blooded.

I honestly hope the lad amounts to something, he is a handful up front.

He took a smack on the back of the head today too!

Trod on Odemwingies toe, accidentally (on purpose??), and was rewarded with a arm to the back of the head, which sent him to the ground.

All the officials missed it.

 

[Grappler]

He took a smack on the back of the head today too!

Trod on Odemwingies toe, accidentally (on purpose??), and was rewarded with a arm to the back of the head, which sent him to the ground.

All the officials missed it.

He doesn't look like an out and out hard nut, and yet every time I have seen him play, he is giving it 100%, tough tackles, no backing off, great stuff.

I don't see him play as much as you (Treeton) and Larky do, do you think he could give a good 15 or 20 minute cameo for the first team, if needed?

Only asking this, as at the Reading game at BDTBL, the coaches were shouting at him during the second half, to keep running, as if he was tiring out before the rest of the lads were.

 

[larkymasher]

Yes I was surprised when he was called back. I agree, he would be better off playing first team for someone, week in, week out, but he does provide that "bite" up front for the U23's and maybe Travis needs him there for that reason, to help bring the other lads along?

I think he does bring the other young lads along and leads the line very well and shows the youngsters what commitment is, but football is a selfish game and Wright needs to play at a level or a club that improves him and gives him the chance to make a living as a pro footballer.......

Its a bit like Long. For the young defenders in front of him he is a great keeper, but is 23s football really enough for him as a professional keeper.

 

[larkymasher]

He doesn't look like an out and out hard nut, and yet every time I have seen him play, he is giving it 100%, tough tackles, no backing off, great stuff.

I don't see him play as much as you (Treeton) and Larky do, do you think he could give a good 15 or 20 minute cameo for the first team, if needed?

Only asking this, as at the Reading game at BDTBL, the coaches were shouting at him during the second half, to keep running, as if he was tiring out before the rest of the lads were.

Its a tough one to answer....... If they thought he had a future I would have thought he would have had a run in preseason with the first team.

As far as I know he doesn't train with the first team either which is the first step forward that the manager likes you.

 

[Treeton Blade]

He doesn't look like an out and out hard nut, and yet every time I have seen him play, he is giving it 100%, tough tackles, no backing off, great stuff.

I don't see him play as much as you (Treeton) and Larky do, do you think he could give a good 15 or 20 minute cameo for the first team, if needed?

Only asking this, as at the Reading game at BDTBL, the coaches were shouting at him during the second half, to keep running, as if he was tiring out before the rest of the lads were.

No, needs to go back out on loan IMO.

Have a good run of games in the Conference or League 2, see how he does.
Didn't play enough for York, but is getting better with every game.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Yes I was surprised when he was called back. I agree, he would be better off playing first team for someone, week in, week out, but he does provide that "bite" up front for the U23's and maybe Travis needs him there for that reason, to help bring the other lads along?

He was brought back to provide cover, maybe in case Lavery and Clarke suffered set backs. We may have thought we'd have longer cup runs too. He was on the bench at Grimsby.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Goals here:



I think it is Horatio Hirst who makes the cross before our last goal.

 

[Ihadadream]

Not at the game today but my usual watchers were in attendance. Very good win and performance from all over the park. By all accounts should have been 6 or maybe 7 1.

Long..... Graham Semple Kelly.......... Bennett Reed Slater Brookes Mallon........ Hallam Wright jnr

Rotherham had first team players Odemwingie & Blackstock up top and to be fair the both of them took a bit of a battering from our back three. Semple marked Blackstock whilst Graham and Kelly soundly dealt with Odemwingie depending what side he was on. These three were physical, strong ,excellent in the air and to be honest some of the distribution was top drawer.

Bennett was a little quiet and came off after 50 mins but Mallon on the left was very good. driving at the defenders.

Slater, Reed and Brookes were a really good three. Slater buzzing around but with the quality of Reed and Brookes around him.

Hallam was quiet first half but picked up second and should have had a hatrick.

Wright was first class yet again. He is a right handful, strong, nasty and an eye for goal. Not sure where he will go at the club as he is 20 years old but 23s watchers I think like him a lot.

Football is a funny game..... I know weekly salary is not what makes a player but if you take Semple and Graham who earn £100 a week scholar wages and Blackstock and Odemwingie on £20k per week between them, then the two young Blades defenders should be well pleased with their efforts today. The two Rotherham forwards should be embarrassed with their performances.

By all accounts the 23s best performance of the season.

 

[Ihadadream]

Wrighty is a real handful proper centre forward strong aggressive and certainly gives as good as he gets only downside to him is he sometimes needlessly gets too involved and maybe that is the problem can they trust him? The to watch for me is young Bomber he came to the Academy at U15's the strides he has made in the 2 years since are emense and he looks better with each game physically a beast don't forget unlike Gilmore, Semple, Hallam and Slater who have been at the club since U9's he is playing catch up in his game understanding if he makes the same strides forward in the next 2 years WOW what a player that said if the other 4 do the same we could be on the verge of very exciting times ahead!!!

 

[larkymasher]

I have got to say that I have not seen another club with 3 centre backs at 17 and 18 years old as good and with as much potential as Graham, Cummings and Semple.
All still scholars but today they were excellent together against championship forwards.

 

[EddieColquhoun]

Wrighty is a real handful proper centre forward strong aggressive and certainly gives as good as he gets only downside to him is he sometimes needlessly gets too involved and maybe that is the problem can they trust him? The to watch for me is young Bomber he came to the Academy at U15's the strides he has made in the 2 years since are emense and he looks better with each game physically a beast don't forget unlike Gilmore, Semple, Hallam and Slater who have been at the club since U9's he is playing catch up in his game understanding if he makes the same strides forward in the next 2 years WOW what a player that said if the other 4 do the same we could be on the verge of very exciting times ahead!!!

Who is "young Bomber"?

 

[S64 Blade]

Who is "young Bomber"?

Graham?

 

[larkymasher]

'Bomber' is Sam Graham.

His dad is Herol 'Bomber' Graham the boxer

 

[sheffielder]

'Bomber' is Sam Graham.

His dad is Herol 'Bomber' Graham the boxer

Good to know. In regards to Gilmour, has he gone backwards a bit or not progressed? He doesn't seem to start the amount of u23's he did last year. Do you think it's too early to send Cal Semple out on loan, I think it would do him the world of good. somewhere like Mansfield which won't be too far too travel.

 

[larkymasher]

Good to know. In regards to Gilmour, has he gone backwards a bit or not progressed? He doesn't seem to start the amount of u23's he did last year. Do you think it's too early to send Cal Semple out on loan, I think it would do him the world of good. somewhere like Mansfield which won't be too far too travel.

I think Semple is at a point where he needs competitive football. Yes he is young but i think he needs day to day first team involvement to bring him on. Maybe at the start of next season he will go on loan.
If we get promoted then a loan to L2 would be good for him IMO.

 

[DazBlade88]

Good to know. In regards to Gilmour, has he gone backwards a bit or not progressed? He doesn't seem to start the amount of u23's he did last year.

I don't think he's gone backwards, it's just that Slater is doing so well and getting ahead of him. We've got some good lads at the minute.

 

[Ldn_Rd_Blades]

"...Wright was first class yet again. He is a right handful, strong, nasty and an eye for goal. Not sure where he will go at the club as he is 20 years old but 23s watchers I think like him a lot......"

He took a real bruising at the hands of the Reading lads a few weeks back, at the 3-3 draw at BDTBL, but kept getting back up. Took a nasty elbow to the back of the head, which saw him go nose to nose with the Reading player.

When I first saw him play at Hallam FC, he was a handful back then and when he came back to play Hallam, with an SUFC side, a few months ago, he was making crunching tackles, full blooded.

I honestly hope the lad amounts to something, he is a handful up front.

The guy that does my sports massages is the physio at Hallam and he was raving about him, talking about his tenacity even when getting lumps kicked out of him because he was embarrassing the defenders

Exactly what wilder looks for in a player I reckon

 

[DazBlade88]

I've always been undecided on Wright. He scored so many at Hallam but as he stepped higher it didn't quite work for him. He's 21 soon so he really needs first team football somewhere this season.

Connor Hall has been banging them in for Sheffield FC and Mickleover, and has now gone on loan to Woking in the Conference. If he does well at that level he may be ahead of Wright, and he's only 18.