By Deadly Submarine
April 18 2015
Tranmere's Youth side notch a third straight win on Saturday morning against Port Vale.....
Tranmere Youth 3 - 2 Port Vale Youth
Tranmere's Youth Team striker Sam Illesanmi notched an impressive first half hat-trick as Rovers triumphed 3-2 over Port Vale Youth in their final Football League Youth Alliance North West Conference game at Rovers' Raby Vale training ground on Saturday morning.
Going into the game on the back of two consecutive 2-0 wins away at Accrington Stanley and then at home to Preston North End last Saturday, Rovers Youth team Manager Shaun Garnett returned to fielding second year scholars in their side after playing mostly first year scholars and under 16's in the impressive win over Preston last week.
As the second years await news on their potential professional futures with Tranmere which is apparently due next week, the side starting this morning's game against Port Vale contained as many of them as were available on the day.
Tranmere took the lead early in the game when a great run down the right touchline by Jake Hulley saw him cross for Illesanmi to prod home from a few yards out past the stranded Valiants goalkeeper. Shortly after the home side took the lead, Tranmere goalkeeper Paddy Rutter was forced into a great save to preserve the early advantage as he palmed a shot wide for a corner.
Sam Illesanmi notched an impressive hat-trick for the Rovers Youth side as the beat Port Vale 3-2
That shot was against the norm of the game though as Rovers looked relatively comfortable before doubling their lead midway through the half and it was Illesanmi on target again. Gabriel Kubwalo did well to keep possession surrounded by Vale players and poked the ball out to Illesanmi whose finish into the far corner was excellent for 2-0 to Rovers.
It should have been 3-0 to Rovers shortly afterwards but just when Ben Jago's spectacular effort looked destined to go in, the Vale goalkeeper, who thanks to a deflection was diving the wrong way, managed to save the ball with his feet and over the crossbar. The save proved even more crucial for the visitors a few minutes later when Vale pulled a goal back thanks to a tidy finish from inside the penalty area which gave Rutter no chance.
The first half scoring wasn't finished there though and there was still time for Sam Illesanmi to notch a first half hat-trick with a thunderous finish across goal before the players went off for the half-time break with the score at 3-1 to Tranmere. The goal of the game then came the way of the visitors early in the second half with a curling shot into the top corner of Rutter's goal to make the score 3-2 but thereafter Rovers were relatively untroubled and held of for a third consecutive win.
Depending on their involvement in the final Rovers Reserve game at the end of April, most of the youth players now face one final game this season as they head to Wigan Athletic next Saturday morning to play in the Lancashire FA Youth Cup Final. For anyone not going to watch the first team away at Plymouth, the final is at Robin's Park in Wigan (next to the DW Stadium) and kicks off at 11.00am so why not make the short trip to support the lads in the final.
Total Tranmere would also like to wish all the best to all of the current second year lads in whatever may happen next season and beyond!
Tranmere Youth: Rutter, Hulley, Gumbs (c), Smith, Fleming (Lucy), Askew, Kubwalo, Jago, Moynes (Lamb), Illesnami (Akpan), Omotola
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