U18 Report: Saints 1-4 Burnley
Southampton Under-18s were beaten by Burnley in their first game of the Under-18s Premier League Cup group stage at Staplewood on Saturday.
Saints started brightly, and could have taken the lead inside 10 minutes when Luke Hawe struck the post from inside the penalty area as he raced on to a low cross from Tyler Lemon.
Burnley's first opening came from a set piece, as Xander Grieves was called into action to push away a downwards header from Blayz Borgesson.
The visitors had begun to shift the momentum at Staplewood, and rattled the woodwork themselves when a short corner routine gave James Lewis room to shoot from range and strike the crossbar.
On the half hour mark, it was Saints who next went close to breaking the deadlock, as Wyatt Comley raced into the area but was kept out with a near post shot that was smartly saved by Callum Feeney.
The eventual opener did arrive before the break, and it was Burnley who got their scoring started from a corner routine as Grieves pushed away a whipped cross into the path of Glen Ilunga who instinctively headed home the rebound.
Andrew Surman's side needed a response after the break, and signalled their intent from kick-off as a swift attack led to another shooting chance for Hawe, who was this time denied at point blank range by another impressive save.
Feeney was there again in the Burnley goal moments later to keep out Walter Nutter's shot from the edge of the box, before Jan Mmakogu fired inches wide at the other end.
The equaliser eventually arrived for Saints in impressive style, as Tyler Lemon took matters into his own hands as he shifted inside from the right wing and bent a curling effort into the top corner from 20 yards out.
Saints' momentum was dealt a blow less than 10 minutes later though, as two goals in four minutes from Warren Taylor put Burnley firmly back into the ascendency.
The first came from the penalty spot to restore the visitors' lead, before a quick counter attack was coolly finished one-on-one by Taylor to give Saints a mountain to climb in the closing stages.
The youngsters couldn't find a way back into the contest and it was the visitors who scored next and completed their victory when Elijah Turahirwa tapped home from a whipped free-kick delivery in the final minute of normal time.
Southampton U18: Grieves, Sainsbury, Vallance, Sewell (c) (Martin 64'), Afzal (Robinson 45'), Nutter, Lemon, Lovatt (Wells 70'), Comley (Linton 45'), Parry (Bariami 64'), Hawe.
Unused substitutes: Clark, Fletcher.
Goals: Lemon (54').
Booked: Lovatt, Wells.
Burnley U18: Feeney, da Costa, Best, Ilunga (Oshodi 66'), Turahirwa, Morison (c), Borgesson (Murwira 71'), Leonard, Lewis, Mmakogu (Huggett 73'), Taylor.
Unused substitutes: Lo Tutala, Loofe, Etuwe.
Goals: Ilunga (41'), Taylor (62', 66' pen), Turahirwa (89').
