National League Cup Group C
FC Halifax Town 2 (Bray 62’, Senior 90’)
Leeds United U21 2 (Chadwick 34’, Snowdon 80’)
Leeds United U21 win 5-3 on penalties.
FC Halifax Town: Ford (GK), Cummings, Senior (C), Evans, Cappello (Hoti 78’), George, Emmerson (Cooke 46’), Oluwabori, Pugh (Bradbury 69’), Bray (Jenkins 85’), Adetoro. Subs not used: Johnson (GK), Lavelle, Waters.
Leeds: Mahady (GK), Dudley, Richards, Cresswell (C), Lopata-White, Toulson, Douglas, Chadwick, Chambers, Snowdon, McDonald. Subs not used: Kenyon (GK), Bird, Lane, Pickles, Vincent, Howard, Boast.
Venue: The Shay
Attendance: 471
Referee: Stuart Morland
Booked: Bray, Pugh (Halifax) Cresswell, Lopata-White, Mahady (Leeds)
Leeds United Under-21s added two points to their National League Cup tally with a penalty shootout triumph over FC Halifax Town, after Scott Gardner’s side were cruelly denied all three points when the hosts equalised deep into stoppage time.
Rhys Chadwick had continued his rich vein of form with his well-taken goal before Halifax hit back after the break. Predatory instincts from Joe Snowdon looked to have put United on course for the victory late on, only for a last-gasp leveller ensured proceedings ended all square and headed to a shootout.
Goalkeeper Rory Mahady would prove to be the hero for his side, saving crucially from Adam Senior as Leeds recorded a 5-3 spot-kick victory!
Leeds shone from the off and a skilful turn by midfielder Sam Chambers, again tasked with leading the line for his team, drove the Whites into Shaymen territory, where last ditch defending from Jo Cummings eventually prevented Snowdon the chance of getting on the end of Louie Dudley’s dangerous low delivery.
The game’s infancy was an open, end-to-end affair which saw the hosts go close moments later, when Andrew Oluwabori rose highest to meet Angelo Cappello’s enticing cross and headed wide, perhaps getting in the way of better-placed striker Zak Emmerson who had found space inside the area.
A desperate block from Halifax skipper Senior then denied Connor Douglas from rounding off a superb, incisive move from United. Scintillating one-touch football resulted in Chadwick threading an inch-perfect pass into the path of the forward, with Senior’s crucial intervention clearing the first-time effort away from danger.
On a bitterly cold Calderdale evening, Leeds were breaking with pace and Josh McDonald’s darting run was almost picked out by a sweeping ball from Snowdon, with Senior again on hand for the hosts to deal with the threat.
Goalkeeper Mahady’s first involvements between the posts came in quick succession when the Shaymen had two chances of their own approaching the half hour mark, initially scampering across goal to gratefully claim Adam Adetoro’s header before being equal to Oluwabori’s effort from distance.
A low cross from the right then fell the way of the winger who in turn found the overlapping Cappello, though under pressure from the retreating Dudley, the Halifax full-back lashed a wayward strike wide of the upright.
With just over 10 minutes of the first half remaining, a hopeful ball up-field from Alfie Cresswell saw Chadwick set off in pursuit. Adetoro looked to be comfortable in dealing with play but a mistake from the centre-half allowed the in-form midfielder to latch onto the loose pass and race through on goal.
With just Nathaniel Ford to beat, the 17-year-old kept his composure and drilled confidently into the bottom corner to hand Gardner’s side a deserved lead!
Looking for an immediate response, a cross from the right bundled the way of the onrushing Cummings on the edge of the area, with the defender firing narrowly wide.
Adetoro, keen to atone for his previous error, then made a crucial block as Chadwick tried to curl a powerful strike into the far corner to grab a second.
Moments later, alert goalkeeping from Ford allowed the Shaymen’s stopper to smother the ball from the feet of McDonald, before referee Stuart Morland brought an enthralling opening period to a close.
HALF TIME: FC Halifax Town 0-1 Leeds United U21
A change at the break from Chris Millington saw substitute Jamie Cooke enter proceedings for the hosts and the forward lifted Halifax, who started brightly as they looked to restore parity at The Shay.
A dangerous out-swinging corner from the left was met by Senior, though the defender was unable to guide his header on target from close range.
Cooke, after racing into space on the flank, then tried to catch Mahady out with a fizzing strike from a narrow angle, but the Scotland youth international was able to watch the ball sail harmlessly over the crossbar.
Fine defending from Reuben Lopata-White then saw the centre-back recover superbly to apply pressure to Owen Bray as the midfielder shaped to shoot, forcing a miscued effort wide of the upright.
Halifax grabbed an equaliser shortly after the hour mark through Bray’s close-range finish beyond Mahady. A cross from the left had raced all the way across goal which was worked well back into the area by a blue shirt, allowing Bray to bundle home the leveller.
After what had been one-way traffic to start the second 45, the Whites, on the evening in yellow, sent a timely reminder of the threat they posed when Chadwick drilled a low shot just past the post.
A marauding run from versatile Dan Toulson had drove United up the field, with the defender laying it off for the midfielder who looked to place one into the bottom corner.
A last-ditch challenge from Adetoro then sent McDonald tumbling inside the area as momentum began to shift back in Gardner’s side’s favour, though Morland was unmoved despite appeals from the visitors.
The pressure was mounting and finally told with 10 minutes of normal time remaining! A weaving run saw winger McDonald twist and turn his way past several blue shirts and charge to the edge of the area.
The young Scot’s low strike could only be parried by Ford, allowing the onrushing Snowdon with the simplest of tasks to rifle in a second for his team.
Almost straight from play resuming, Mahady made a sublime one-on-one save as Adan George raced through on goal, spreading brilliantly to deny the winger from point-blank range.
With just seconds remaining, Mahady made another wonderful save at full stretch as he diverted Florent Hoti’s powerful drive behind. From the resulting corner however, a goal-line scramble saw Senior bundle in a last-gasp leveller, sending the tie to penalties.
After a confidently taken spot kick from Snowdon, Mahady guessed correctly to deny Senior from 12 yards out! Composed strikes from Chadwick, Toulson, Chambers and finally Cresswell then proved to be the difference for the Whites, running out 5-3 victors in the penalty shootout to claim an additional point in their National League Cup group stage campaign.
FULL TIME: FC Halifax Town 2-2 Leeds United U21 – Leeds win 5-3 on penalties
