The EXILE 10 - Newport County AFC v Southampton U21 - Papa Johns Trophy

DARREN KELLY

I would like to begin by offering you all a warm welcome back to Rodney Parade for tonight’s Papa John’s Trophy fixture against Southampton Under 21’s.

The start of last week saw us unfortunately part company with James Rowberry as manager and Carl Serrant as his assistant. It was definitely not the ending that the football club wanted or anticipated with James when he was appointed and I want to place on record, on behalf of myself and the football club, thanks to James and Carl for the work they put in whilst at the football club.

I know personally how hard they both worked and having spent so much time with James since his appointment, I know how keen he was to succeed here at his hometown club. I know you will all join me in wishing James and Carl the best for their future endeavours and of course, they will both always be welcome back at Rodney Parade.

Moving on to tonight’s football, we still have something to play for in this compe tition with qualification from the group stages still a possibility following our results with Exeter and Forest Green Rovers and the other results between teams in the group.

It is a game we will be approaching in a positive manner and a desire to go out and win the game. That is all we can actually affect in terms of outcome and that is all we will focus on.

Tonight will prove to be another competitive game but a different type of chal lenge against a youthful team who, for most of their players, are just in the fledgling stages of their careers, but there should be no illusions from anyone, this side will be technically good and be capable of causing us problems.

On that note, I want to welcome Dave Horseman, the technical staff, directors, players and supporters from Southampton and hope they have a safe journey to and from Rodney Parade.

It’s good to be at Rodney Parade again tonight and hopefully we can get another good atmosphere which can help push us towards another positive result in this group stage.

Enjoy the game and get behind the lads.

CHRIS SHINGLER

AMBER FROM THE ATTIC

We delve deep into the attic tonight to pull out this programme that was issued for the Saints’ Division Three (South) visit to Somerton Park, on Thursday the 8th of September 1955.

O ur late Queen Elizabeth ll had only been in the Windsor hot seat for three years when this match was played and the 3d-priced, eight-page ‘Of ficial Programme’ saw our ‘Whites’ team, from the then traditional pre-season trial photographed on the cover.

The hopefuls included a young goalkeeper by the name of Len Weare and this Southampton match would have been one of his first in our Football League side. Len went onto have a magnificent career with the club and even saw himself in 1958 placed on standby for the Welsh national squad that travelled to the World Cup in Sweden. He had just ousted the North Walian Lor rie Hughes as our custodian, and would become a regular between the sticks over the next fifteen years!

As we thumb the pages, ‘Editorial’ penned by ‘Crom wellian’ is served up first on page two, and once again the theme of the poor attendances at Newport County was

Road had won 10/- after holding the lucky programme from the recent Aldershot fixture, yet nobody had claimed the winning ticket for the ball that was used in that match. Blazer badges were in stock and fans wanting to pur chase tickets for the upcoming Wales vs. England clash should note that they are restricted to “Members of the Supporters Club.”

Page three brings us a look at our visitors and cites that Southampton are one of the most attractive sides in the Third Division. Players picked out are international full backs in England’s Bill Ellerington and Eire’s Tom Traynor, as well as Fred Kiernan, himself an Irish cap. Others to note were right-half Bobby McLaughlin and centre-forward Eric Day, who had top-scored at the Dell the previous season with 29 goals. Nevertheless, Saints had lost the previous Saturday at home to Northampton by three goals to two. There is also a look at the corresponding match from the 1954/55 season and Southampton had nicked it by the odd goal, scored by Johnny Walker. Apparently a strong wind had spoilt the match.

the main talking point. The point is made that a recent match at Walsall had seen the home side attract a gate of over 14,000 to witness a 3-3 draw, and that many people used the well-trod den excuse for our lower crowds on the rival, higher grade football on offer at Cardiff City, or the big rugby matches at Rodney Parade. However, as Cromwellian points out, the Saddlers have “Such famous clubs as the Wolves, Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion (only three miles away) and Birmingham City, and it spite of everything, Walsall can call upon a steady 14,000 fans.”

Food for thought there then, as our spectators enjoyed the half-day Thursday on the Bob Bank. It’s also noted that the Walsall fans had time to “Cheer the County team and the individual efforts of the players.”

Also crammed in on this inside-cover page was ‘Sup porters’ Club Notes’ and a Mrs. Phasey of 11 Cromwell

After the ever present (for programmes of the time) team line-ups in formation style, surrounded as per by an array of advertisements from the likes of big-hitting Sunday newspapers the News of the World and The Sunday Empire, as well as local firms such as Pleasance & Harper Jewellers and Griff Davies Tailors and Outfitters of Maindee.

On page six sits a league table where County were third from bottom with only three points from five matches; our solitary success was a 2-1 home win back in August, our opening home match, where two Billy Shergold goals saw off the Blues of Ipswich Town . This match had also witnessed the first of Len Weare’s mammoth 607 appear ances as our number one. Southampton were only two places above us on same number of points but held a slightly better goal average.

Forthcoming Somerton Park attractions listed on the penultimate page were Torquay United and Crystal Palace, with our reserves welcoming Abergavenny Thursdays in a Welsh League clash. Sadly, I can’t tell you the second Xl’s result, but Torquay were beaten 2-1 (Cyril Beech & Gordon Brown netting) while Palace were the kings when they came to town and triumphed 0-1.

The full fixture-list and its results thus far is laid out on the back page, and I wince whilst noticing our season had started appallingly with a 0-5 hammering at Gay Meadow, Shrewsbury. This was kept company by a 0-1 defeat in another away match, this time at Aldershot. Looking at the fixtures, I note December 10th was put aside for the Second Round of the FA Cup which would prove some

thing of a fruitless exercise following our embarrassing 8-1 leathering in the First Round at Brighton & Hove Albion!

Overall, it wasn’t a good season for either the Ironsides or the Saints, with County finishing in 19th spot come the end of the season; whilst the red and white striped chaps from the south coast docked in the 14th berth of the final league table. Leyton Orient and Brighton were promoted.

However, it is at this point I bring better news; we beat Southampton on that long ago Thursday by a single goal to nil, with the Magor-born Harry Harris notching the all-important strike. Harry, of course, would go on to play for our visitors’ biggest rivals Portsmouth, after he left Somerton in exchange for £10,000 before returning to Newport on loan in 1970.

Teams:

County: Len Weare, Arthur Lever, Ken Hollyman, George Thomas, Ray Wilcox, Tom Docherty, Billy Shergold, Tommy Johnston, Cyril Beech, Harry Harris, Gordon Brown.

Southampton (as printed): John Christie, Billy Ellerington, David Gunter, Bobby McLaughlin, Johnny Wilkins, Bryn Elliott, John Flood, Tommy Mulgrew, Eric Day, Johnny Walker, John Page.

Attendance: 7,048.

Today we are hosting our Show Racism the Red Card Month of Action fixture against Southampton, The Newport County and Southampton players will be wearing Show Racism the Red Card t-shirts during their warmup to promote an anti-racism message and demonstrate their stance against racism in sport and society.

Show Racism the Red Card is the UK’s leading anti-racism educational charity.

They aim to combat racism through enabling role models, who are predominately but not exclusively footballers, to present an anti-racist message to young people and others.

Show Racism the Red Card acknowledges that racism changes, as do the experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities in the UK.

The message and activities therefore need to be able to respond to such changes as and when appropriate.

They achieve this through:

- Producing and delivering educational re sources

- Developing activities to encourage people, including young people, to challenge racism

- Challenging racism in the game of football and other sports.

During October football clubs across Wales show their support for Show Racism the Red Card by delivering a match day action demon strating their stance on eradicating racism from the beautiful game. These actions act as a vehicle to deliver an anti-racism message to the community through the power of sport.

We hope you enjoy the game today and ask you to support the player’s action and join us in saying NO to racism! If you see or hear racism at any level of football, please report it to the nearest steward or club official. To support Show Racism the Red Card and donate please visit out Just giving page via the QR code.

During October football clubs across Wales show their support for Show Racism the Red Card by delivering a match day action demon strating their stance on eradicating racism from the beautiful game. These actions act as a vehicle to deliver an anti-racism message to the community through the power of sport.

We hope you enjoy the game today and ask you to support the player’s action and join us in saying NO to racism! If you see or hear racism at any level of football, please report it to the nearest steward or club official. To support Show Racism the Red Card and donate please visit out Just giving page via the QR code.

Further details about the campaign and how you and your club can be part of the Month of Action can be found by visiting the website www.theredcard.org or by contacting events@theredcardwales.org

APPEARANCES & GOALSCORERS 2022-23 SEASON

League Cup Total

DAY

Cameron NORMAN

Declan DRYSDALE

(0) 0 0 0 4 (0) 0 0 0 6 (0) 0 0 0

(1) 0 3 0 2 (1) 0 0 0 15 (2) 0 3 0

(1) 0 1 1 3 (1) 0 2 0 10 (2) 0 3 1

Sam BOWEN 3 (2) 0 1 0 4 (0) 0 1 0 7 (2) 0 2 0

James CLARKE 10 (0) 0 2 0 1 (1) 0 0 0 11 (1) 0 2 0

Priestley FARQUHARSON 3 (0) 0 0 0 3 (0) 0 1 0 6 (0) 0 1 0

Robbie WILLMOTT 4 (5) 0 0 0 4 (0) 0 2 0 8 (5) 0 2 0

Matty DOLAN 5 (1) 0 0 0 2 (0) 0 0 0 7 (1) 0 0 0

Omar BOGLE 14 (0) 6 1 0 0 (3) 1 0 0 14 (3) 7 1 0

Offrande ZANZALA 2 (0) 0 0 0 0 (1) 0 0 0 2 (1) 0 0 0

11 James WAITE 6 (5) 0 2 0 1 (2) 2 0 0 7 (7) 2 2 0

14 Aaron LEWIS 9 (2) 0 0 0 3 (0) 0 0 0 12 (2) 0 0 0

Scot BENNETT 11 (0) 1 6 0 0 (1) 0 0 0 11 (1) 1 6 0

18 Chanka ZIMBA 0 (12) 0 0 0 4 (0) 2 0 0 4 (12) 2 0 0

19 Thierry NEVERS 5 (3) 1 1 0 1 (0) 0 0 0 6 (3) 1 1 0

20 Hayden LINDLEY 3 (2) 0 0 0 0 (0) 0 0 0 3 (2) 0 0 0

Lewis COLLINS 2 (9) 0 0 0 3 (1) 1 1 0 5 (10) 1 1 0

22 Nathan MORIAH-WELSH 8 (3) 3 2 0 0 (3) 0 0 0 8 (6) 3 2 0

23 Harrison BRIGHT 0 (0) 0 0 0 0 (0) 0 0 0 0 (0) 0 0 0

Aaron WILDIG 7 (1) 0 0 0 2 (1) 1 1 0 9 (2) 1 1 0

Adam LEWIS 7 (3) 0 2 0 3 (0) 0 1 0 10 (3) 0 3 0

Mickey DEMETRIOU 13 (0) 0 1 0 1 (1) 0 0 0 14 (1) 0 1 0 29 Will EVANS 8 (5) 1 2 0 3 (0) 2 1 0 11 (5) 3 3 0

Nick TOWNSEND 12 (0) 0 0 0 0 (0) 0 0 0 12 (0) 0 0 0

and Up To Date on 15.10.2022

supplied by Gareth Swattridge

LONGER

CLUB.

INTRODUCING

SOUTHAMPTON UNDER 21s

Welcome …

We welcome our visitors SOUTHAMPTON UNDER-21s, who compete in Premier League 2 Division 2, the Professional Development League of the FA Premier League where, for the past six seasons, the age limit has increased from 21 to 23. For the Papa John’s Trophy however, it is not quite the same side, as clubs must start at least six players aged 21 or under as of 30 June 2022 and can only include two players over the age of 21 who have made 40 or more senior appearances prior to 2022-23.

FACT FILE…

Ground: StaplewoodTrainingGround,Long Lane, Marchwood, Southampton SO40 4WR.

Capacity: 3,000.

League: Premier League 2 Division 2.

Manager: Dave Horseman.

Player-Coach: Lee Skyrme.

Best League Position: 6th,Under 21 Premier League: Division 1, 2015-16.

Best in Premier League U21 Cup: Winners 2014-15.

Best in EFL Trophy: Never past group stage.

Best in Southampton Sen. Cup: Winners 2017-18.

Record Appearances: Callum Slattery (now Motherwell) 83.

Record Scorer: Ryan Seager (now Dorking Wan derers) 29.

Record Win: 6-2 v Newcastle United U21s, Pre mier League 2 Division 2, October 2017.

Record Defeat: 2-8 v Everton Under 21s, Premier League 2 Division 2, August 2019.

Record League Attendance: 1,761 v Chelsea U21s, U21 Premier League, August 2013.

Lowest Attendance: 37 v Norwich City, Premier League 2 Division 2, March 2018.

SAINTS UNDER-21s IN THE EFL TROPHY …

2017-18 Round 1, lost at Northampton Town

2018-19: Group stage, three defeats

2019-20 Group stage, three defeats

2020-21 Group stage, one win, two defeats

2021-22 Group stage, one win, two defeats

LAST 10 SEASONS …

Season League Position

2012-13 Under 21 Premier League: Elite Division 12

2013-14 Under 21 Premier League: National Division 7

2014-15 Under 21 Premier League: Division 1 8

2015-16 Under 21 Premier League: Division 1 6

2016-17 Premier League 2 Division 1 12 (rel.)

2017-18 Premier League 2 Division 2 6

2018-19 Premier League 2 Division 2 8 (prom.)

2019-20 Premier League 2 Division 1 11

2020-21 Premier League 2 Division 1 13 (rel.)

2021-22 Premier League 2 Division 2 7

BACK STORY …

Southampton’s Academy system has a rich history of producing stars of the future, with the likes of Gareth Bale, Alan Shearer and Theo Walcott all cutting their footballing teeth with the young Saints. The team, effectively the club’s second string, has competed in the Professional Development League structure since the latter’s inception in 2012, and is made up of under-23 and academy players. As well as their fixtures in Premier League 2 Division 2 and the EFL Trophy, they also compete in the Premier League International Cup, Premier League Cup and the Hampshire Senior Cup.

The young Saints are based at the club’s training facilities at Staplewood in the Marchwood area of the city, with home fixtures occasionally played there butmore frequently at AFC Totton’s Snows Stadium. In September 2020, the club revamped their Under-23 programme to ‘enhance the pathway into the first team for its younger players’, with the Under-23 side becoming a ‘B’ team, whose aim was to mirror the coaching and style of the first team set-up.

In April 2015, Southampton Under-21s won the U21 Premier League Cup, defeating Blackburn Rovers over two legs, with the second leg at St Mary’s Stadium attracting a crowd of over 12,000. Ironically, the scorer of our visitors’ second goal that evening, Sam Gallagher, has since totted up over 120 first team appearances for Blackburn.

PAST MANAGER …

MARTIN HUNTER can claim to be young Saints’ most successful manager, guiding them to their best-ever position of 6th in the top tier of Premier League 2 in 2015-16, a year after leading them to the U21 Premier League Cup. A UEFA Pro Licence holder, he was appointed Saints’ U21 coach in 2010 and had a brief spell as assistant manager following the departure of Alan Pardew in August of that year.

He had an impressive coaching background prior to his arrival on the South Coast, with stints as assistant manager at Bradford City and Stoke City and a short time as caretaker manager at Norwich City as well as working in various capacities for the FA for 13 years.

With the appointment of Ronald Koeman as manager at St Mary’s in 2014, Hunter combined his U21 role with that of technical director eventually leaving Saints in 2018. Speaking recently, he identified a suc cessful coach as having “the ability to observe and then communicate with the players. Most coaches are good organisers, they understand

about managing the session but the real top coaches can see things and they can communicate. They have so much enthusiasm and energy it rebounds most of the time on to their staff and above all the players.”

MANAGER’S VIEW …

Dave Horseman on top scorer and England U18 international Dom Ballard, whose goals have helped lift Saints Under-21s to fourth spot in the Premier League 2 Division 2 table:

‘His performance was one of the highlights against Exeter. He also got three goals away on international duty with England Under-18s and he is just loving hisfootball.’

FAN’S VIEW …

COUNTY v SAINTS

Season Competition H A

1919-20 Southern League D1 1-1 (6,332) 0-2 (6,000)

1920-21 Division 3 0-0 (8,000) 0-0 (6,000)

1921-22 Division 3 (South) 0-1 (8,000) 0-5 (9,000)

1939-40 Division 2 3-1 (13,810)

1945-46 Football League South 0-0 (14,089) 2-6 (14,483)

1945-46 FA Cup Round 3 1-2 (8,509) 3-4 (22,000)

1946-47 Division 2 1-2 (11,149) 1-5 (17,778)

1953-54 Division 3 (South) 0-4 (8,571) 0-4 (14,454)

1954-55 Division 3 (South) 0-1 (7,512) 0-2 (13,880)

1955-56 Division 3 (South) 1-0 (7,048) 3-3 (7,779)

1956-57 Division 3 (South) 2-3 (6,982) 0-3 (5721)

1956-57 FA Cup Round 3 3-3 (18,562) 1-0 (22,372)

1957-58 Division 3 (South) 1-1 (5,117) 1-2 (12,925)

1958-59 Division 3 4-2 (9,034) 3-3 (21,495)

1959-60 Division 3 5-1 (6,429) 0-2 (19,167)

1967-68 FA Cup Round 3 2-3 (17,600) 1-1 (23,789)

2021-22 League Cup Round 2 0-8 (7,002)

SAINTS UNDER-21sTODAY …

International star

Southampton Academy starlet Dom Ballard continued his club goalscoring form with his country three weeks ago. Six-goal young Saints top scorer Ballard netted three goals in three games for England’s Under-18s as they secured maximum points in the Costa Calida Supercup tournament.The first game saw Neil Ryan’s side come up against Netherlands at Pinatar Arena, where Ballard played the final 20 minutes, while gameday two brought a start for the Saints’ forward, who scored a brace in a 2-1 victory over Faroe Islands. The 18-year-old then came off the bench to score an 85th minute winner during the 2-1 win against Belgium.

Three points for 10 men

Southampton’s B team secured an impressive victory over Aston Villa in Premier League 2 in their last outing ten days ago, despite being reduced to ten men after just 27 minutes. A low shot into the bottom left corner by Kamari Doyle had given Saints an early lead but a contentious straight red card for defender Nico Lawrence looked to have put Dave Horseman’s side on to the back foot. However, a tactical reorganisation,with striker Sam Bellis dropping to central midfield and midfielder Ryan Finnigan switching to centre back, steadied the Saints ship and the 106 fans at Southern League Division One South AFC Totton began to believe that victory was possible.The unlikely win was secured in the second half as Luke Pearce fired a low, left-footed shot into the net.

‘The Ugly Inside Forum’ recalling the 2009-10 season, when the then third tier Saints defeated Carlisle United 4-1 at Wembley in front of a 73,476 crowd to lift the EFL trophy.

‘Saints don’t seem to have taken the Papa John’s Trophy seriously in recent years. We actually won it during our time in League One in 2010. But Saints are taking their B team a lot more seriously this year. In the past, it was rare to see a genuine member of the first team squad play for the B team, but that is supposedly about to change and that could see us not only improve our position in Premier League 2 but also our showing in the Papa John’s Trophy.’

RECENT RESULTS …

F-A Att:

08 Aug: Nottingham Forest U21s A 3-1 215

12 Aug: West Bromwich Albion U21s H 4-1 239

19 Aug: Stoke City U21s A 3-0 247

26 Aug: Norwich City U21s H 1-1 264

30 Aug: Forest Green Rovers (EFL Trophy) A 1-3 726

16 Sep: Leeds United U21s A 2-6 10,639

04 Oct: Exeter City (EFL Trophy) A 1-2 1,074

08 Oct: Aston Villa U21s H 2-0 106

18 Oct: Newport County (EFL Trophy) A

23 Oct: Newcastle United U21s A Scorers: Ballard 6, Bellis 3, Pearce 2, Carson 1, Doyle 1, Finnigan 1, Lancashire 1, Turner 1, Vokins 1

TERRY BRUMPTON

WELCOME TO THE SAINTS OF SOUTHAMPTON

This evening sees both Newport County AFC and Southampton complete their group games in this season’s Papa John’s Trophy.

After two games each County lie in second position, knowing that a win should take them through to the knockout stages, while the Saints currently are bottom of the table losing both of their opening two games.

This is how the Southern Group F table currently stans.

Saints struck first through Olly Lancashire’s powerful header in the thirty second minute, but Dave Horseman’s men quickly found themselves trailing after Baily Cargill and Dom Bernard steered home before the break.

Uplifted by their late success in the first forty five, the hosts continued to threaten in the second and earned an unassailable lead courtesy of Olly Casey’s fifty ninth minute header, an advantage the home side managed to sustain despite a red card for striker Armani Little in the seventy second minute after his reckless challenge on Diamond Edwards.

Contested under the baking Gloucestershire sun, the opening minutes of the game made for entertaining viewing as both sides wrestled fiercely for early control of the unpredictable cup encounter.

GOAL

32 mins 0-1 – OLLY LANCASHIRE

With his latest defensive contribution epitomising his fine start to proceedings, Lancashire was on hand to give his side a deserved lead in the thirty second minute, the defender climbing highest to reach Matt Carson’s in-swinging free-kick before planting his header firmly into the bottom left corner.

GOAL

37 mins 1-1 – BAILY CARGILL

The full results in the group have been Exeter City 1-2 Newport County AFC Forest Green Rovers 3-1 Southampton U21 Newport County AFC 1-2 Forest Green Rovers Exeter City 2-1 Southampton U21

We now concentrate on tonight’s visitors and we take an in depth look at their opening two group games courtesy of the Saints official website

Tuesday 30th August 2022

Kick-Off 7pm

FOREST GREEN ROVERS 3-1 SOUTHAMPTON U21

Southampton’s B team began their Papa John’s Trophy campaign with a 3-1 defeat at League One outfit Forest Green Rovers.

Deserving of the lead following their positive start,

The form of either side couldn’t have varied more, Forest Green Rovers’ last outing resulting in a heavy 5-0 defeat away to Sheffield Wednesday in League One, while Saints remain undefeated in Premier League 2.

With that in mind, Southampton were predictably the first to go close, Sam Bellis driving in-field from the left wing before arching a beautiful, right-footed effort toward Lewis Thomas’s far post which flew just a few inches wide on seventeen minutes.

With Saints’ intense press continuing to frustrate their opponents deep into the half, Rovers were made to wait until the twenty seventh minute for their first opening, Little’s wicked, low cross from the right flank intended for the boot of Harvey Bunker, but the striker was unable to pull the trigger before Lancashire’s brave block.

In response, the home side drew on their experience to drag themselves back into the game, a looping header toward Ollie Wright’s far post hooked back across goal by the quick-thinking Josh March, presenting Cargill with the simple job of sliding the ball home from just a few yards to level the score five minutes after the opener.

What started as a cagey, nervy encounter was rapidly becoming an end-to-end shootout. Dom Ballard the next to enjoy not one, but two golden one-on-one opportuni ties in the thirty eighth and fortieth minutes respectively, both of which were smothered effectively by Thomas to the frustration of Saints’ striker.

GOAL

45 mins 2-1 – DOM BERNARD

Horseman’s men would be made to deeply rue such spurned chances come the forty fifth minute, as a half-clearance only fell into the path of Bernard, whose

HALF TIME

FOREST GREEN ROVERS 1-1 SOUTHAMPTON U21

Having pounced at the perfect time, it was unsurprising that the hosts started the second forty five the brighter of the two teams, as Saints looked to steady the ship. Wright would be kept busy straight from the restart, first keeping out the driven efforts of Ben Stevenson and March, before clawing away Bunker’s looping header from the corner that followed.

GOAL

59 mins 3-1 – OLLY CASEY

Further saves to deny the attempts of both March and Sean Roberson would trail, but the visitors were eventually condemned to a third goal as the clock ticked into the fifty ninth minute, Casey’s awkward header from close proximity squirming between the goalkeeper’s gloves and into his net following Jacob Jones’s deep corner.

With the 726-strong home crowd in full voice, South ampton’s fate seemed all but sealed at this point, but, in a game of constant twists and turns, the home side would offer their visitors a lifeline with a little over fifteen minutes to play.

KEY MOMENT

79 mins RED CARD

Having picked the ball up in his own half, Edwards

subsequent side-footed effort proved a composed, clinical one moments before the break.

OLLY LANCASHIRE heads Southampton into the lead at Forest Green Rovers.

looked to drive forward but found his feet cynically swept from beneath him by Little before he could do so. The nature of the challenge was not only needless, but unnecessarily high and dangerous in the eyes of referee Charles Breakspeare, who was quick to brandish a straight red card.

Entering the closing stages of the match a man light, Ian Burchnall was quick to switch to a defensive tactic which surrendered possession of the ball to their opponents in a bid to lock-up and preserve their lead in defence.

As such, Saints saw more of the ball in the latter minutes, but struggled to turn that possession into goalscoring opportunities, substitute Luke Pearce’s firsttime volley from Zuriel Otseh-Taiwo’s whipped cross in the final minute the most noteworthy effort, but one he couldn’t keep down as Saints were forced to settle for defeat in their Group F opener.

THE LINE-UPS

FOREST GREEN ROVERS: Thomas, Bernard, Casey, Cargill (Peart-Harris 46), Hendry (O’Keefe 80), Little, Jones (McAllister 80), Robertson, Davis (Stevenson 46) Bunker, March

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES: McGee, Moore-Taylor, Brown

SOUTHAMPTON: Wright, Lancashire, Jay Morgan (Otseh-Taiwo 68), Bellis (Merry 85), Ballard, Turner, Lawrence, Payne, Edwards, Carson, Bragg (Finnigan 68)

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES: Hall, Pearce, Pambou, Hewlett

TUESDAY 4TH OCTOBER 2022 KICK-OFF 7PM EXETER CITY 2-1 SOUTHAMPTON U21

A youthful Southampton B team side suffered defeat at League One Exeter City on Tuesday night in the Papa Johns Trophy group stages.

Dom Ballard carried his goalscoring form with England back to club football, his neat low finish into the near corner giving Saints the lead on eighteen minutes.

The hosts responded well to going behind, Matt Jay eventually levelling the scores on forty minutes with a drive from the edge of the box.

Exeter turned the game on its head in first-half injury time, Saints loanee Kegs Chauke tapping home from close range after Jay’s free-kick hit the post.

Exeter side was a mixture of youth and experience, including Fulham loanee Jay Stansfield and Saints loanee Chauke, who had been given special permission to feature.

Dave Horseman’s side featured the exciting youngsters Sam Amo-Ameyaw and Jimmy-Jay Morgan, alongside the prolific duo Dominic Ballard and Sam Bellis.

Saints enjoyed a positive start to the game, dominating possession and pushing their hosts back as they home side looked to counteract the pace of Morgan and Ballard.

The hosts looked to respond during an entertaining opening ten minutes, a searching ball into the box looking for Stansfield who failed to connect on the stretch.

On fifteen minutes came the game’s first shot on target as the contest began to open up; Grecian’s skipper Jay firing from range for what was an easy claim for keeper Matt Hall.

With both sides looking dangerous it was important for one side to make their chances count. That side was the visiting Saints.

GOAL

18 mins 0-1 – DOMINIC BALLARD

Ballard received the ball out wide, before cutting inside and finding the bottom corner to give his side the lead and continue his scintillating form.

This seemed to spark the hosts into life, who followed up with a strong strike from Stansfield, which Hall did well to tip behind.

But Saints continued to pose a threat on the break, Morgan bursting down the left flank in behind the Exeter defence, before firing over from a tight angle.

GOAL

40 mins 1-1 – MATT JAY

Eventually the hosts’ pressure told, skipper Jay finding space on the edge of the box before finding the far corner and levelling the scores. Despite efforts from Hall to keep it out.

It was a case of lightning striking twice for Saints, who were forced into a change immediately after. Nathanael Boot replacing the injured Zuriel Otseh-Taiwo.

GOAL

45 + 2 mins 2-1 – KGAOGELO CHAUKE

Things went from bad to worse before the break, Jay’s free kick hitting the post and tapped home by Chauke from close range in the second minute of stoppage time.

HALF TIME

EXETER CITY 2-1 SOUTHAMPTON U21

Into the second forty five and the hosts dominated early proceedings, Hall forced into a string of impressive saves to stop Exeter gaining a two-goal lead.

The Saints youngsters’ test soon got tougher. Jevani Brown, with seven goals and five assists in League One so far this season, introduced on the hour mark.

With both managers ringing the changes the game started to drift; most of the action contented in midfield as the game entered the final twenty minutes.

Amongst the limited chances was a sighter for Morgan on the edge of the box in the seventy first minute, but his strike was an easy claim for Jamal Blackman.

The hosts showed their experience to shut out the majority of Saints’ attacks, but the visitors came inches away from an equaliser with five to go.

KEY MOMENT

85 mins SAINTS HIT THE BAR

Payne’s deep free kick was met by Nico Lawrence in the box at the far post, who headed towards goal only to see the ball rattle the bar with Blackman beaten.

Ultimately it was a narrow defeat for Horseman’s side, who certainly showed their worth by pushing the Grecians

right to the last.

FULL TIME

EXETER CITY 2-1 SOUTHAMPTON U21

THE LINE-UPS

EXETER CITY: Blackman, Sparke (Caprice 68) Hartridge (Billington 59), Harper (Borges 68), Stansfield, Chauke, Cox (Brown 59), Sweeney (Key 59), King, James

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES: Sowden, Clark

SOUTHAMPTON U21: Hall, Payne, Lancashire, Lawrence, Otseh-Taiwo (Boot 41), Turner, Bragg, Amo-Ameyaw (Dibling 66), Bellis, Jay-Morgan (Pearce 77), Ballard (Merry 77)

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES: Stewart, Lett, Charles

TONIGHT’S FIXTURES IN THE PAPA JOHN’S TROPHY 7PM KICK OFF

HARROGATE TOWN vs MORECAMBE

HARTLEPOOL UNITED vs EVERTON U21

CHELTENHAM TOWN vs WEST HAM UNITED U21

WALSALL vs MILTON KEYNES DONS

STEVENAGE vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR U21

WYCOMBE WANDERERS vs PETERBOROUGH UNITED

BRISTOL ROVERS vs SWINDON TOWN

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE vs CRYSTAL PALACE U21

FOREST GREEN ROVERS vs EXETER CITY

LEYTON ORIENT vs CHELSEA U21

CAMBRIDGE UNITED vs IPSWICH TOWN

NORTHAMPTON TOWN vs ARSENAL U21

BOLTON WANDERERS vs LEEDS UNITED U21

CREWE ALEXANDRA vs TRANMERE ROVERS

ROCHDALE vs SALFORD CITY

LINCOLN CITY vs NEWCASTLE UNITED U21

DERBY COUNTY vs MANCHESTER CITY U21

BARROW vs CARLISLE UNITED

BURTON ALBION vs BRADFORD CITY

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY vs LEICESTER CITY U21

7.30PM KICKOFF

PORT VALE vs WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS U21

STOCKPORT COUNTY vs SHREWSBURY TOWN

7.45 KICKOFF

CRAWLEY TOWN vs ASTON VILLA U21

NEWPORT COUNTY AFC vs SOUTHAMPTON U21

SUTTON UNITED vs OXFORD UNITED

ACCRINGTON STANLEY vs LIVERPOOL U21

FLEETWOOD TOWN vs MANCHESTER UNITED U21