U18 report | Wolves 5-2 Leeds

Wolves under-18s stormed to victory, sweeping aside Leeds United in a five-star showing at Compton Park on Saturday afternoon.

It was perhaps the perfect way to mark the last home game of the U18 Premier League campaign; Wolves responded to each Leeds equaliser emphatically and clicking into gear in the second period, with goals from Brayden Clarke and Mackenzie Bradbury either side of a Leon Chiwome hat-trick ensuring such an impressive margin of victory.

The hosts started brightly with Marvin Kaleta advancing up the pitch in the opening minutes and delivering a deep spinning cross that evaded those in the middle, but fell nicely to Fabian Reynolds at the back post. The angle was against the winger and his shot was blocked behind. The resulting corner was swung into a dangerous area and took a deflection off a Leeds head, before Clarke rose highest to power home from close range to give the hosts the lead inside five minutes.

Moment later, Leeds were challenged again from out wide as the visitors failed to deal with a cross into the area that landed at the feet of Conor McLeod who, after a good first touch, swivelled and forced a block resulting in another corner. Wolves threatened again from the dead ball situation and it was Chiwome this time who contested well in the air and directed his effort onto the post from a tight angle.

The old gold surged forward again with purpose and ingenuity just minutes later, almost a carbon copy of a move in the opening stages. McLeod dropped into space and once again found Reynolds’ run in behind the defence. With time on his side, Reynolds’ left-footed shot was dragged wide of the far post and the chance went missing.

The hosts continued to cause the Leeds defence issues, this time through the overlapping run of Hayden Carson which was picked out by Reynolds down the left. Carson, having found himself in behind, cut a good ball back into a dangerous area which deflected kindly out to Leo Shahar, who started the game on the right wing, but his first time shot flew over.

Much against the run of play, Leeds United found an equaliser, catching out the hosts with a flowing counterattack. The ball was worked out wide to the advancing Joe Richards whose superb, whipped cross into the opposition box was turned home by Harvey Vincent.

Chiwome took little time in restoring the Wolves lead, however, as the England youth international latched onto a forward ball that sliced through the Leeds side, before rounding the opposing defender and slotting calmly into the bottom corner.

The scores were levelled once more as Leeds’ high press forced Wolves into a defensive error that saw goalkeeper Palmi Arinbjornsson’s pass out from the back intercepted by Max McFadden. The winger, having turned over possession through his pressure on the ball, played a simple square pass inside to Lleyton Brown, whose shot found the back of the net.

McLeod, afforded time and space just outside of the area, looked to swiftly re-find the lead just as the hosts did for their second, with his strike from distance crashing against the crossbar before being cleared away from danger.

With just under five minutes remaining of the opening period, Leeds failed to deal with a long ball played over the top which allowed Chiwome in behind and all by himself with just the keeper to beat. Chiwome pushed the ball slightly wide darting around the keeper whose out-stretched arm pulled down the forward and the referee took little time in awarding the penalty and a yellow card.

Chiwome, whose good work resulted in the spot kick, stepped up and showed great composure to send the keeper the wrong way and convert into the bottom right corner.

Half-time | Wolves 3-2 Leeds United

The hosts started the second period in equally purposeful style as they finished the first. A pass down the line was into the path of Reynolds, who this time was able to pick out Chiwome in the middle who, at the pack post made no mistake, slotting home to extend the hosts’ lead, in-turn completing his hat-trick.

Wolves constantly found themselves able to exploit Leeds’ high line and although the visitors recovered well to this particular attack, they cleared only as far as Bradbury, who gratefully accepted the invitation to shoot from distance, as he struck a sweetly hit strike which soared beyond the keeper to make it five.

Leeds didn’t let Wolves’ purring second half display deter them as they pushed forward in search of a goal to reduce the deficit and give them a chance heading into the final quarter. The ball broke nicely for Oliver Pickles in a central area, who thought he had scored and would have done was it not for a last-ditch sliding block from Carson to deflect it over the bar.

Wolves controlled the game well to see out a comfortable victory with neither side creating the volume of chances in the final 20 minutes as they had previously.

Full-time | Wolves 5-2 Leeds United

REACTION

Speaking after the match, lead coach James McPike was full of praise for his side’s clinical nature in front of goal, which reflected in the impressive three goal margin.

“It was a really good game; I think we played some really good stuff. [The forwards were] quite ruthless in the final third so I was really happy with that part of it today.”

On seeing out the contest

“I think it’s worth saying, these games are really challenging usually for the boys because sometimes we’ve been mismatched in terms of the physical battle, and sometimes the opposition have gone a bit older and we’re a bit younger, and it can be a bad mismatch.

“Sometimes it’s a bit of good timing, so today has been a bit of good timing for the boys, but I think we always go into the games trying to be compact, and trying to be organised behind attacks to prevent that. It happened for them today, so that was really good.”

On the abundance of goals and chance creation

“We worked on a couple of things to get in behind their back four and into the spaces that we noticed, and we got into them well.

“I think we were unselfish with the goals, we got into the right areas, and it was unselfish decision making that led to one touch finishes which was really really good.”

On Leon Chiwome’s hat-trick and performance

“It’s great to have [Chiwome] back. It’s great to have him playing, that’s the most important thing that he’s been part of the games, and he’s been really prolific for us in front of goal over the last few games.

“I think he’s scored nine goals across two or three weeks so it’s great to have him back in the team and to have a focal point there to play into, to finish the attacks, which is obviously something we haven’t quite had for the last few months. To have him there finishing off the attacks for us is really really important.”

On what to aspire for from the few remaining fixtures

“Can they reproduce the same sort of performances? Obviously a very difficult game on Tuesday night against [Manchester] United, and then the carrot for the boys is the Saturday at the Riverside against Middlesbrough.

“Hopefully there will be another strong performance on Tuesday, which will then give us a really big headache for the team that play at the Riverside.”

NEXT TWO 

• 25/04 Manchester United (A)
• 29/04 Middlesbrough (A)

TEAMS

Wolves | Arinbjornsson, Kaleta, Clarke, Bradbury, Voice (Edozie 36), Carson, Shahar, Rees, Chiwome (E. McLeod 62), C. McLeod (Ashworth 62), Reynolds.

Unused subs | Harper, Salmon.

Leeds United | Mahady, Richards, Godden, Chadwick, Toulson, Lopota-White, McFadden, Pickles (Billett 83), Brown (Simo 65), Chambers, Vincent (Ombang 65).

Unused subs | Firth.

Report by Ollie Spencer