Darlington Under 15 Quakers 2 Hilda Park 1

Our Under 15s recently reached their league cup final - -a great achievement considering that they are playing against teams a year older!

The lads play in an Under 16 league, and have been doing really well this season against older players, and last weekend they came from a goal down to beat Hilda Park in the semi finals of their league cup.

They went a goal down early in the game, but Coleby Shephard equalised with ten minutes left, and then with three minutes left Matt McGuckin scored the winner.

Director of youth Paul Thomas said; “Considering that most of the side are under 15s, it’s a great achievement to get to a final against older teams.”

They will now play Langley Park in the final on a date to be announced.

Under 8 Feethams lose at home

Match report by Martin Williamson

Man of the match: Oscar Thornber

Sponsors: Webster Developments

The boys put in a great performance and were let down by not having a goalkeeper again. It was almost an identical game from when we played them a few weeks ago.

Feethams took the lead through a smart finish from Kai Martin. But our visitors replied three times before half time to take a 3-1 lead. The second half saw Feethams make their third change in goal disrupting the team through out. Our visitors scored more before Feethams grabbed a consolation goal at the end. I can safely say that with a proper keeper four of the goals wouldn't have been scored and a different game would have been played out. The opposite story at the other end with the visiting goalkeeper putting in a great performance.

Despite the changes the boys did us proud and were outstanding in the development game, everyone of them trying and pressing till the end and ran out comfortable winners, scoring some great goals.

Oscar Thornber was man of the match in the first game, he was very composed on the ball and played some great football.

Well done boys!

Darlington Under 15s Feethams 4 TIBS 7

Match report by Andrew Alton

We welcomed TIBS in a fixture reversed due to ground conditions in Stockton. Things started slowly for the boys who struggled to put a foot on the ball in the opening exchanges. Our opponents deservedly took the lead from a free kick from the right, swung over and met at the far post. Liam Wynn levelled things up minutes later with a trademark free kick fired in centrally from twenty yards out. Before anybody had time to catch their breath Darlington conceded two in quick succession, the first from a missed kick from Kenzie Alton in goal and the next from a ball given away by the defence on the edge of their box. Though competitive in fits and starts we conceded two more before half time to go in trailing by four.

An adjustment in formation which took place just before half time paid dividends as the lads looked to make their mark on the game. First a penalty won and superbly taken by Bailey Proudlock and then a towering header from Kieran Bowers ghosting in at the far post reduced the deficit by half. Sadly a tremendous free kick from 35 yards out gave Darlington even more to do with around twenty minutes remaining. They camped in their opponents’ half for a ten minute period unlucky on more than one occasion, Liam Wynn, Bailey Proudlock and Spencer Soakell all going close. Bailey though did manage to find the net prodding home from three yards out following a goal mouth scramble. It seemed though this would be too little too late and it proved to be with TIBS adding a final goal in the dying minutes.

A very disappointing result against a team that we would expect to hold the upper hand. Some of the blame must be down to myself, in hindsight I set the team up wrongly formation wise with the players involved, we were much more competitive once we reverted to a back four.

Man of the match was awarded to Spencer Soakell, who stood out throughout the match, tenacious in the tackle and using the ball intelligently when in possession.