Duncan: 'I'm looking forward to the new season and working with an exciting group of individuals'

Two successful trialists in a worldwide search for talented youngsters scored second half goals for the Nike Football Academy as Southend United’s Under-18 side concluded their pre-season campaign with a 2-0 defeat.

The pair, Tobi Amokeodo and Korean Seon-Min Moon, constituted part of a group of eight talented individuals unearthed by the Premier League-funded Academy during the search for capable youngsters that saw 75,000-plus applicants from over 40 countries. ‘The Chance’ concluded in January with the octet being offered places at the purpose-built facility at Loughborough University.

By contrast, Ricky Duncan’s side were without Anthony Furlonge, Lyle Della-Verde and Seedy Njie as they appeared as second half substitutes for the senior side at Canvey Island and Louis Baucutt, who faces around two months on the sidelines after fracturing the fifth metatarsal on his left foot in the previous friendly against Reading.

"I thought the young lads did well out there for us today,” commented Head of Youth Duncan. “We had two 15-year-olds playing in Josh Banton and Jack Bridge, and I thought they both did very well, and we only had two second-years, so to put in a performance like that against 19- and 20-year-olds was very pleasing.”

The Academy, which offers a second chance to youngsters released by professional clubs as well as those lucky individuals identified by ‘The Chance’, made the brighter start, and Luke Chambers was forced to beat away a fierce shot directed at his near post in the ninth minute.

Two minutes later Chambers displayed a strong left hand as he managed to turn Alex Mitchell’s rasping effort away whilst Aaron Tatham effected an excellent last-ditch challenge with an elongated right foot to avert a forward going through one-on-one with the ex-Arsenal custodian.

Titi Accam did manage to move through on goal in the 19th minute, but Chambers was off of his line quickly to block with his legs and it was not until midway through the opening period that Southend began to get hold of possession and craft some chances of their own.

By that stage, exciting first-year winger Marlon Agyakwa had been withdrawn through injury and it was his replacement, towering trialist Shamir Mullings, who wrought havoc in the Academy box from James Pinnock’s hanging cross. Goalkeeper Reyaad Pieterse spilt the ball and Mitchell Pinnock’s shot was blocked by the hand of a defender. Pieterse went some way to redeeming himself by pushing Ryan Auger’s free-kick to safety, but Blues had established a foothold in the game.

Pieterse advanced well off of his line to close down Mullings after Auger’s creative through-ball, and he repeated the feat by grabbing the ball off of skipper Michael Hyland’s toecaps after Jack Payne had turned down his own opportunity to shoot. James Pinnock then scuffed Mullings’ centre wide of the left-hand post just before the half-hour mark.

The next opening fell to the hosts as Accam burst between Tatham and Robert Hyams, but Chambers was again equal to a strong shot and Southend responded with a beautiful move of their own, James Pinnock back-heeling Auger’s pass into the path of Hyland, who struck a dipping shot narrowly over.

Perhaps the best chance of the half came four minutes before the break when an Academy forward rounded Chambers and held off Banton before firing goalwards, only to see Tatham excellently-positioned on the goal-line to meet the strike with his chest. Chambers then clutched Accam’s volley besides his left-hand post to round off an excellent personal 45 minutes.

The second period began with both teams sending efforts off target, Hyland chipping over from 20 yards for the Shrimpers whilst Amokeodo nodded inches wide and Mustapha Taline dragged a skimming shot past the left-hand post for the hosts. Banton also did well to block Amokeodo’s advance on goal.

Southend had a wonderful chance to go ahead after 70 minutes when Bridge volleyed a centre into the path of Mullings, but he saw his goal-bound attempt deflected out for a corner. Unfortunately, Blues were hit on the counter-attack from Mitchell Pinnock’s flag-kick, and Taline found Moon, who chipped sub ‘keeper Andres Pascoe from 15 yards.

Pascoe then did well to palm a low shot away from goal, but the Academy doubled their lead in the 77th minute when Amokeodo was slipped clear of the defence and he drove his shot underneath the Australian custodian.

Pascoe made a couple of fingertip saves in the final ten minutes but, despite being behind, Blues continued to press and Bridge was unlucky when Pieterse clawed James Pinnock’s centre just out of his reach, whilst Mullings’ 25-yard daisy-cutter flew just wide of the left-hand upright.

Duncan insisted that the Shrimpers’ pre-season had set his squad up well for the Football League Youth Alliance campaign which gets underway at AFC Wimbledon on Saturday: “We won the Cars4All Trophy at home against two good Academy sides, and we also matched Reading for nearly an hour in midweek, so I’m looking forward to the new season and working with an exciting group of individuals,”  he said.