Goals galore for academy's early stars

There were goals galore in the NPL Football Academy's league on Matchday Three as Mickleover Sports kept their 100 per cent record while Romulus kick-started their season with a win.

The game at the Raygar Stadium between Mickleover and Leek Town, pictured, got off to a frantic start with two goals in the opening three minutes of the game.

Dylan Shilcock maintained his record of scoring in each game so far this season when he put Leek ahead in the second minute before Joe Alldread responded almost immediately to level the game.

From there it was all Mickleover as Craig Bagshaw put the home side ahead on 10 minutes and had several chances to extend the lead before half time. Sports finally got the third goal they deserved not long after the second half restarted before Bagshaw grabbed his second in the 62 minute.

He added a third with a penalty in the 75th minute, an historic strike as he became the first NPLFA student to score a hat-trick in the NPL Youth League. Jack Parkes grabbed a consolation with six minutes to go as Mickleover ran out comfortable winners.

In Wednesay's other match, Romulus got off their campaign off to the best possible start with a 4-2 home win over Newcastle Town.

Donashane Peterson put The Roms ahead with an early ninth minute lead before Jake Oakley equalised on 40 minutes. Ethan Bell restored the home side's advantage soon afterwards and Tom Pitt extended the lead on 47 minutes.

Another Peterson strike on 62 minutes saw the home side cruise to victory despite a Haydn Foster scoring a consolation goal on 81 minutes.

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NPL Youth League Results - Wednesday 19 November

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Mickleover Sports 5
Joe Alldread 3, 48, Craig Bagshaw 10, 62, 75

Team: Tolley, Ward (Amiri), Cronin, Tickner, Sanderson, Haidary (Murphy), Tompkinson, Buxton, Bagshaw, Alldread (Jones), Hussain.

Leek Town 2
Dylan Shilcock 2, Jack Parkes 84

Team: Jones, Ellis, Parkes, Hall, Burndred, Machin, Harris, Faulkner, Graham-Shea, Shilcock, Knight (Bromfield)

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Romulus 4
Donashane Peterson 9, 62, Ethan Bell 42, Tom Pitt 47

Team: Jones, Goldsmith, Rutty-Smith, Campbell, Kapinga, Bell, Suttnan, Mfoyi, Peterson, Pitt, McDonald Taylor.

Newcastle Town 2
Jake Oakley 40, Haydn Foster 81

Team: M.Halliwell, Foster, Need, E.Halliwell, Baxter, Jones, Dolan, Rowe, Arnold, Hulme, Oakley.

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* The EVO-STIK NPL is the first league in English football to launch a youth league and academy combining football with further education.

The NPLFA opened its doors to its first intake of students in September at five pilot clubs - Leek Town, Mickleover Sports, Newcastle Town, Radcliffe Borough and Romulus - after being officially sanctioned by the Football Association back in May.

The initial pilot programme sees up to 20 students aged 16-18 studying for a BTEC Level 3 in Sport on two year courses at each club while working with FA licensed coaches on a daily basis. As well as competing in the new EVO-STIK NPL Youth League, they will also play in national competitions led by the FA Youth Cup.

Follow the new academy's progress at nplfa.co.uk, twitter.com/NPLFA and at facebook.com/NPLFA.

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