Long Eaton United CFC Academy found themselves on the wrong end of a heavy 7-1 defeat as they exited the National League U19 Alliance League Cup at the hands of Chesterfield FC Youth Academy Blue on Wednesday afternoon.
The visitors were two-nil up after 12 minutes played, courtesy of goals from Laken Torres and Archie White. Ben Bowers’ instinctive flick seemed to have reduced the deficit heading into half-time, however, Torres secured his brace and their two-goal advantage minutes before the break.
Alexander Duhameau earned the young Spireites’ second brace of the afternoon early in the second half, before Bradley Mawer and Harrison Watson netted goals of their own to round off a convincing victory.
Curtis Burrows made three changes to the side that were beaten 4-3 by Alfreton Town last week at the Impact Arena. Reece Bird made the starting squad ahead of Simon Savage who began the afternoon on the bench, Ryan Pearce returned from injury and regained the captain’s armband over Isaak Hibbert, and Andrew Tsolakis started ahead of Riley Phillips.
Chesterfield started on the front foot and found themselves ahead after nine minutes played. The Blues’ defence was caught napping, as a lifted ball caught out the defence and allowed Torres to drive towards goal and finish with a venomous strike into the bottom left corner.
Long Eaton struggled to regain confidence after the first goal, and it showed when the young Blues conceded once again only three minutes later.
Bird thought he had denied Torres as the visitors’ striker drove to goal, but the ball fell back to the feet of Torres, who then played a simple pass to White on the edge of the box for a curling effort that bounced in off the far post.
To rub salt in the wounds, the Blues were dealt two injury blows early on. Captain Pearce was helped off in the 17th minute whilst in serious pain after falling awkwardly on his right arm, and Harry Acklam came off in the 31st minute after a knock to the back of the head.
Despite the two unfortunate events, Bowers was in fact able to grab a goal for Long Eaton in the 34th minute, after a dangerous cross fell to Breeyen Grainger to volley towards goal, but his effort was scuffed and fell to Bowers to flick past the visitors’ keeper.
Only five minutes later, Torres secured his brace. The young Spireites forward – who looked consistently lethal throughout the match - latched onto a forward pass and hit a thunderous half volley which arrowed into the top left corner, despite Billy Hurrell getting a glove to it.
That goal was the final blow for the Blues in the first half, as the final five minutes looked to be one in which both sides looked to recuperate some of the tired legs.
Duhameau scored a fourth for the visitors in the 57th minute. A counterattack that bypassed the Blues defence and – with a significant amount of composure – the Chesterfield winger was able to drive into the box and drill a strike under the diving Hurrell and into the bottom left corner.
It took only five minutes for Duhameau to then secure his brace, with a goal identical to the first, as a quick counterattack played the winger through on goal and he was able to drill a shot, just beyond the reach of the keeper.
Ryan Bache looked to force a comeback in the 68th minute, as the forward connected fantastically with a strike that was arrowing towards goal, although his shot was blocked at a crucial point and all momentum was lost.
The visitors claimed their sixth only three minutes later, with the ball at the feet of Duhameau to strike towards goal, but this time Hurrell reacts and saves incredibly, only for the rebound to be tapped into the empty net by Mawer.
In a fairly one-sided second half, it seemed inevitable that a seventh was to come, and with 6 minutes left to play, it did. A well-worked cross that substitute Watson connected with at the near post had pace and flew over the committed Hurrell – rounding off an afternoon to forget for the young Blues.