Match report from the youth team's final league match of the 2012.13 campaign...
Notts County youth team were unable to prevent their Hull City counterparts from becoming North East Youth Alliance champions on Tuesday afternoon. In blustery conditions, the impressive Tigers were good value for their 4-0 victory at Highfields.
County started at a high tempo, with front pairing Malachi Lavelle-Moore and Romello Nangle looking dangerous in attack. Hull were able to carve out the better of the early chances and moved in front through their skipper, Northern Ireland international midfielder Eoghan McCawl, who placed confidently past under-15 stopper Monty Parks, after the Magpies had given away possession in midfield.
Parks made a number of decent saves to prevent the visitors from extending their lead, including a brave block inside his six-yard box that evidently left him in pain. However, there was little he could do to keep out dangerous wideman Tom Davie’s 30th minute finish, which made it 2-0.
On the stroke of half time, Hull added a third from a superbly hit set-play that saw the ball whipped into the area at pace from the left flank. Striker Joel Sutton latched onto the end of the delivery to guide past Parks with a prodded finish.
Nangle and Kyle Dixon had provided Notts’ best efforts in a difficult 45 minutes against the wind. The second period brought more possession for County and better openings.
On 56, Lavelle-Moore gained a headed flick-on that was well scouted by Nangle, who escaped his marker at pace. The forward, who netted in the first team’s 3-1 victory over Colchester United at the weekend, drove low towards the bottom-left corner, only for the goalkeeper to gain a vital touch with a reaction parry.
From the resulting corner, Hull were lucky to escape an extended goalmouth scramble, before Jack Golding stung the palms of the stopper and substitute Anthony Dwaer watched a long-range effort skid wide of the right-hand post. Elliott Hodge, Glodie Bange and Golding, again, came close but it was the Tigers that would strike once more ahead of the full time whistle.
On 76, Davie skipped past two challenges on the right wing and progressed into the box to drive powerfully across goal into the far corner. There was no coming back from this and Hull climbed above Doncaster Rovers youth team at the top of the table to secure the league title.
Starting 11: Parks, McGowan, Crust (Myers 73), Guest, Clarke, Dixon (Kehler 65) Hodge, Golding, Bange, Lavelle-Moore (Dwaer 62), Nangle.
The Magpies have one match remaining, a Midland Youth Cup Final away at Walsall. For full fixture details, click here.