Today is

Burton U17's are once again disappointed at losing a close league fixture - on this occasion to a hard, well organised Willenhall team. This disappointment should be tempered by the fact that a fantastic squad of 24 players were available for selection and even playing below par we only lost by one point!!

 

At best Burton were steady in the first half with many players failing to spring into action or show a desire to get beyond a solid Willenhall defence. Yet again it seemed as if "just enough effort to keep with the opposition" was the tactic for the day? The Burton pack was not firing on all cylinders although the back row of Avery, Briggs and Clarke tried to rally the troops at every opportunity.

 

Willenhall, to be fair, had the lions share of possession and chances  in the first half, however Burton were always in contention and were only 3 points down to a penalty kick at the break.

 

The second half saw a much improved performance from Burton with some good back play and excellent angles of running creating chances that were not easy to take or take advantage off. Willenhall stuck to their guns and were rewarded with an unconverted try early in the second half . This stretched the lead to 8 points.

 

Changes were made to the Burton lineup to try and create an opening and also to give some more squad members a chance to perform out on the field, however it was not until very late in the game that David Dew broke free from the right wing and scored under the posts. Shortly after converting the try the Burton team were gutted to hear the referees whistle blow for full time and a close win for Willenhall.

 

Both teams reconvene for battle on Sunday the 2nd December for the county cup semi final (at Willenhall), when another hard fought match is predicted. With a growing confidence and a little more belief this revitalised Burton U17 team can reverse today's outcome and put pressure on all of the top teams in the Staffordshire U17 league.