Rushden & Diamonds Youth Team began their Football Conference Youth Alliance campaign in emphatic style with a 14-0 win over Wycombe Wanderers MSC thanks to 8 goals from Nabil Shariff, 4 goals from Adam Sharpe, 1 goal from George Cox and 1 goal from Sean Shields.
George Cox commented on scoring his first ever goal for the Youth Team "Now I've got one goal at last the floodgates will open!"
Paul Driver, head of Youth at R&DFC said "These were both pleasing performances, albeit (and without wishing to disrespect S & L Corby and Wycombe Wanderers MSC) against lesser opposition.We have to play in the earlier rounds of the FA Youth Cup and keep getting drawn to playing preliminary qualifying games and we can only beat what's put in front of us"
"The side that I put out against Wycombe today will rarely, if ever, play in the league as a team again this season - the odd second year scholar will play to get competitive time on the pitch if I feel they need it but that's about it. We've got Aynsley at Wingate & Finchley, 2 at Raunds, 2 at Newport Pagnell, they rarely get to play as a team together."
"The early part of the season for us is now very much geared towards progress in the FA and Midland Youth Cups and the main squad for those competitions needed minutes on the pitch together as a team in preparation for those games so that we could iron out a few issues before the upcoming harder rounds of those cups and this was the best game to do that in - unfortunately, Wycombe look like they will be one of the younger sides in the league and they simply weren't able to cope with us and it was all a bit too easy."
"The plan for the season very much remains that we will play the 1st Years in the league and we'll be sticking to that from here on in and with our younger side playing older, more competitive teams like Birmingham, Oxford, Boston and FCV Reds, we expect the games to be much closer and give the boys a real test".
"I'm delighted with the finishing, last week against Stewarts & Lloyds (9-0 to the Diamonds) we didn't really take our chances - Nabil could have had eight or nine himself - this week we really took our chances, I'm very pleased with the performance."
The first competitive game of the season saw the visit of Stewart & Lloyds Corby for the FA Youth Cup Preliminary Qualifying Round on September 9th and the match finished in a 9 - 0 victory for Rushden.First half goals from Adam Sharpe, Lewis Hallford and Jake Gillingwater settled any early nerves and quick goals in the second half from Nabil Shariff and Jake Gillingwater allowed a few subs to be made to rest the boys who had matches for the senior clubs that they are out on loan to so Shariff, Matt Evans and Hallford were all replaced at around the hour mark.
Another Adam Sharpe strike following a great through ball by Aynsley MCDonald and a Dan Easlea hat trick rounded off the scoring. The scorers were - Dan Easlea (3), Jake Gillingwater (2), Adam Sharpe (2), Lewis Hallford, Nabil Shariff - they will now face Leighton Town in the First Round Qualifying on Wednesday 23rd September.
Paul also revealed ahead of Sunday 20th September's NFA Under 18 Boys Cup game "I intend to field the under 16s and 17s in the county cup, do a bit of an Arsene Wenger, with how he plays his youngsters in the Carling Cup. and keep that competition just for the younger lads."
Paul also confirmed that Nabil Shariff has gone out on loan to Newport Pagnell on similar terms to the other youth team players where he will be able to come back as required to play for Rushden as well as playing for Newport Pagnell's mens team.
Photos thanks to www.snapimages.co.uk
