Portsmouth FC U18s 1-6 Swindon Town U18s

The U18s of Swindon Town won their second game in a row against Portsmouth FC U18s during their recent match in Merit League One. They beat them 6-1 while playing away on Saturday morning.

Joel McGregor was on the matchday squad and played really well in their victory over Notts County the day before. He scored three goals, which helped him earn his league debut against Sutton on Easter Monday. Jo Owiti also played well and scored two goals, while Miles Obodo added one more goal to show how strong Town's U18s team is.

Sean Wood decided to make three adjustments to the squad that had a tie with Sutton during their last game. Some U16 players were given the opportunity to showcase their skills amongst older players. Additionally, Jaxon Brown was granted the responsibility of being the team's captain due to his impressive performances in the recent past.

Swindon started the game with enthusiasm and played well against their tough opponent for the first 30 minutes. However, they finally made a significant progress with 10 minutes remaining in the first half, and Joel McGregor scored for the first time in the game.

Ant McCormick, a defender for the team, advanced the ball towards the Portsmouth side, then passed it to McGregor in the middle. McGregor skillfully manoeuvred past his opponents and kicked the ball under the Pompey keeper's legs. This resulted in a goal for Town just before half-time.

At the mid-point of the game, the under-18 team from Portsmouth FC has not yet managed to score, while their opponents from Swindon Town have managed to find the back of the net once. The score currently stands at 0-1 in favor of Swindon Town.

The second half of the game carried on from the first, and Town scored their next goal at the one-hour point when Miles Obodo scored for the U18s.

Swindon's midfielder Ali Stewart took possession of the ball and passed it to his teammate Dani Gonzalez. Gonzalez then skillfully slid the ball forward to Miles Obodo who expertly scored the second goal for Swindon, putting them ahead by two.

In the 72nd minute, Jo Owiti scored his first goal of the game, bringing Swindon's tally up to three. He managed to score with a clever shot, which only added to the great performance the team had been displaying up until that point.

After a remarkable jump by Joel McGregor, who successfully retrieved the ball, he passed it to the substitute who had just entered the game in the second half. The substitute proficiently scored from a short distance with no errors.

After Swindon scored their third goal, Pompey managed to score one back. However, it didn't take long for Swindon to start scoring again as McGregor ended up scoring his second goal of the game in the 77th minute.

Jaxon Brown, the captain of the team, passed the ball to McGregor, who managed to get past his opponent on the right-hand side of the field and took an amazing shot. The ball went straight into the left corner of the goal, and that scored him his second point of the match.

However, the young player didn't stop there and secured his third goal just before the end of the game. Ant McCormick assisted with another smart cross-field pass, which allowed the player to control the ball and calmly finish, completing his hat-trick in the closing minutes.

In their most recent Merit League One match over the weekend, Town delivered a tremendous outcome and performance, securing a total of six goals. Jo Owiti managed to score his second goal and Town's sixth in added time by taking advantage of the parry made by Pompey's goalkeeper.

After considering the outcome of the match and mentioning Joel McGregor's recent introduction to the league, Sean Wood, the head of professional development, expressed his delight. He stated, "Saturday's performance was exceptional. We performed with precision and efficiency in front of the goal, and our offensive tactics were aggressive and intense."

Including multiple players who are under the age of 16 in this soccer match was a fantastic decision. Our second-year players are often out on loan, so including the U16s allowed them to play. This is a positive step for the younger players, showing promise for their future.

On Saturday, it was delightful to witness Joel netting three goals in a row, something that had been anticipated for some time. This accomplishment has filled him, his family, and the academy with immense pride, especially since he made his league debut, keeping us in line with our pattern of giving five debut appearances this season. This is a remarkable feat for everyone who contributed to his success, and we all share the same sentiment of pride.

Scoring six goals against a strong Portsmouth team, with whom we have competed four times this season, bodes well for our U18s squad. We aspire to conclude the season on a positive note with a talented group of players who have gained valuable experience through various challenges and match opportunities. Our aim is to maintain this momentum and consistency as we head into the 24/25 season.

The Under-18s team from Swindon Town recently had a match. The team played well and the players were Robinson, McGregor, Foye, Stewart, McCormick, Hunt, Obodo, Brown (who was the captain and was substituted for Tombs in the final moments of the game). Ameen was also playing, but was eventually replaced by Owiti in the second half. Gonzalez was also on the team, but was replaced by Larkins later in the game. Chard was also playing, but left the field for Hutt to take his place. As for the goals of the game, McGregor managed to score three times throughout; once at the 35th minute, again at the 77th minute, and one final goal at the 86th minute. As for the other goals, Owiti scored once at the 72nd minute, while Obodo scored at the 60th minute. Owiti managed to score again during extra time, specifically at the 90+2 mark. All in all, it was a good game for Swindon Town's Under-18s.