During several of the Russell Foster league and cup games (versus teams from north of the Wear) there has been scouts from Newcastle United football Club watching the games. The NUFC scouts must have been impressed with the standard of the Darlington Wearside Youth U13 team displays that they invited the team to their grounds at Little Benton to play a selected team from their Academy U12/U13.

On paper this should be a challenge for the Darlington Wearside Youth U13 team and coach Daren Robertson accepted the invitation with the blessing of Darlington FC.

The nights football was to take place of three 25 minute sessions so I will report this as three ‘separate’ games.

The first ‘game’ kicked off with the usual line out of a three, three, four formation.

Although an official team sheet was not required for ‘reference/practice’ I completed one anyway.

However, as I was completing the team sheet a cheer went up from the Darlington supporters. On no more than four minutes a Darlington cross from the right center found Keiran Wakefield who sent the ball into the Newcastle net.

Darlington Wearside Youth U13 1 – NUFC Academy select 0.

The NUFC Academy select team now knew from the start that they were in a game. However from the re-start the Darlington team showed that they were not to be in ‘awe’ of playing an Academy team of NUFC standing and again on 5 minutes a Darlington player retrieved the ball off the NUFC team and a cross from the left center saw Darlington’s Jamie Gibson bury the ball into the NUFC net.

Darlington Wearside Youth U13 2 – NUFC Academy select 0.

The NUFC Academy grounds were second to none and the pitch was in pristine condition. This was ideal for the close passing, short ball play the Darlington team have been playing this season. The NUFC team were quick to close down but for most of the first 25 minute session they appeared to be ‘chasing ghosts’ such was the speed the Darlington team passed the ball around the field. Although the NUFC team were obviously a good team the Darlington team were quick to read the ‘run of the ball’, quick to intercept and quick to send the ball into the NUFC half of the field. Such was the ‘dominance’ of the Darlington team that the NUFC team did not have a single attack which resulted in a shot at the Darlington goal until 22 minutes (of a 25 minute session). This shot did not even require a save from the Darlington keeper who just needed to watch the ball go well wide of his right post.

The Darlington team were strong on the ball and held the ball up until other players could get forward in attack. This ½ was such that no one player can be singled out, it was truly a team effort.

The first 25 minute session ended Darlington Wearside Youths U13 2 – NUFC Academy select 0.

In anticipation of the NUFC coaching staff realizing the standard of the Darlington team play the second 25 minute session saw the Darlington coach change his formation to experiment with a 4 – 1 – 4 – 1 formation.

The second 25 minute session saw the NUFC team being more ‘aggressive’ in their attack and start to challenge the Darlington team more (as had been expected from the start). The NUFC team began to show why they were afforded ‘academy’ status. However as the NUFC team upped their game so the Darlington team ‘stepped up a gear’. They did not let the NUFC team settle on the ball. When in possession the Darlington team held onto the ball, they executed some great cross pitch passes and generally dominated the game throughout the pitch. Worthy of a particular mention is the Darlington number 9 Darren Robertson. Darren was strong in the tackle, he used his strength to hold off the NUFC defenders/mid-field which enabled other Darlington players to get forward and mount attacks. Darren was skillful with the ball at his feet and produced some worthy passes.

The Darlington team were confidently passing the ball across the field and where necessary back to the keeper whose kicking was excellent all night, whether it was from his hands, from goal kicks or from the result of back passes. He was calm and composed even when being charged down by an NUFC player.

The Darlington team developed their game from the goal keeper, to the defenders, to the mid-field to the forwards.

Again the NUFC team only had two attempts on the Darlington goal in this 25 minute session.

On 18 minutes the NUFC team was awarded a corner. The ball was sent to the edge of the Darlington’s 18 yard box and a NUFC forward had a good shot at the Darlington goal. The ball was looked to be dipping under the Darlington goal. However the Darlington keeper Alex Bates watched the ball all the way and calmly palmed the ball over his bar for a NUFC goal kick.

On 23 minutes the NUFC team did gain the upper hand in a rare attack. The forwards chased the ball into the Darlington box and a NUFC winger sent a cross into the box where a forward attempted a flick at goal. Again Bates watched the ball and cleared the ball from his box with a strong kick up field.

Although this 25 minutes ended with a score line of Darlington Wearside Youth U13 0 – NUFC Academy select 0 this session was at least a bit more challenging for the Darlington team. The final 25 minutes looked to be a challenge.

The start of the third session again saw the Darlington team mount the first attack on goal. This was the result of a Darlington corner ball. Darlington’s Ryan Smithwhite crossed the ball high into the NUFC box. The ball was headed just over the bar by Jaxon Briggs for a goal kick.

The paring of Daren Robertson and Ryan Smithwhite on the Darlington left side of play was causing the NUFC defense all sorts of problems. Robertson’s strength and holding skills, his twists, turns and spins and the sheer speed and trickery of Smithwhite was very difficult for the NUFC backs to handle. This had the NUFC team committing other players across to counter this challenge and it was because of this that on 12 minutes of the session Darlington’s Finn Illingworth ‘stole’ the ball from an NUFC player. Illingworth passed the ball to Ryan Smithwhite. Smithwhite passed to Keiran Devlin, Devlin to Jamie Dodds who sent a great ball across the NUFC box to Tommy Hunt who shot from a very acute angle through the legs of the NUFC keeper for Darlington’s first goal of this session.

Darlington Wearside Youth U13 1 – NUFC academy select 0.

By now the Darlington team were in complete control of this session. On 15 minutes Ryan Devlin crossed a great ball into the NUFC box. Jamie Dodds seemed to be just standing waiting for the ball to reach him. He seemed to ‘tee-up’ the ball and pick his spot. Dodds buried the ball into the back of the NUFC net with the sweetest of goals.

Darlington Wearside Youth U13 2 – NUFC Academy select 0.

The Darlington team play was now in full stride and a joy to watch and at one time they put together 17 passes from the GK to defense to mid-field, across the pitch right to left then back left to right and forward without a single touch from an NUFC player and on 19 minutes Jaxon Briggs became the provider for Jamie Gibson to score Darlington’s third goal.

Darlington Wearside Youth U13 3 – NUFC Academy select 0.

Again from the re-start the ball was found in the possession of a Darlington player who sent the ball into the NUFC box (to no one in particular). The NUFC goal keeper attempted to clear the ball but it only went as far as Jaxon Briggs who, with his back to the goal flicked the ball over his head. This caught the NUFC keeper completely by surprise and on 20 minutes the ball again found the back of the NUFC net.

Darlington Wearside Youth U13 4 – NUFC Academy select 0.

By this time the game was all but over but not before the NUFC team mounted a very rare attack on the Darlington goal. This attack was rewarded with a corner kick to the NUFC team.

The corner was sent high into the Darlington box and went above the keeper’s head and landed at the feet of a NUFC forward who struck the ball cleanly into the top right of the Darlington goal. Only to be headed off the line by Darlington’s Keiran Devlin. The ball landed about three yards out from the goal and there ensured a scramble where the ball was kicked between about eight players inside the box before it was cleared away by the Darlington keepers boot.

This proved to be the last chance the NUFC team had to score before the final whistle was blown for to end the game (of three halves).

This game was well anticipated by the Darlington Wearside Youth U13 coaching staff and was being looked forward to as a test of the teams all round capabilities.

However in truth the Darlington Wearside Youth U13 team gave the NUFC Academy select team a footballing lesson.

They dominated the final 25 minute session with a mixture of strength and skill. They displayed an example of excellent team-work and individual skills from every player on the field. The work rate was second to none. They produced long balls forward and across the field. They produced flicks, spins and turns. They passed with the inside and outside of the boot and their passing was accurate and well weighted.