Academy Football: Baxter brace helps U18s stay unbeaten

Sep 11 2007 by Chris Wright, Liverpool Daily Post

TWO more goals from top scorer Jose Baxter and others from Louis Codling and substitute Kieran Agard helped Everton under-18s score an excellent 4-2 victory in a entertaining Premier Academy League match at Newcastle United.

Neil Dewsnip’s side kept up their excellent unbeaten start to the season. Everton have now won three and the drawn one of their opening four matches in the Premier Academy League.

On Saturday Everton started slowly and were behind inside the first 10 minutes. But they rallied and were soon on level terms when Louis Codling went round the keeper to equalise.

Then just before the break Dewsnip’s side took the lead when following a clearance by Michael Stewart, Baxter chipped the keeper superbly from 25 yards to give the Bootle youngster his third goal in as many matches.

Everton could have been further in front moments later when Cory Sinnott hit the bar.

Newcastle levelled soon after the restart from a twice-taken penalty which was initially missed. The home side scored from the retake, which Everton felt aggrieved about it as there didn’t seem to be any reason for it to be taken again.

But Kieran Agard came off the bench to fire the visitors back into the lead.

In a lively match England schoolboy international Baxter secured the points from a cross from Codling, for his fourth goal of the season so far.

Everton had other chances to increase their lead, but in the end settled for a 4-2 victory.

Dewsnip said: “It was quite a tough, competitive game and it was only about 15 minutes to go when we felt we had got to control the game. But it was a good, exciting end-to-end game and one which we were delighted with the lads’ attitude and obviously delighted to have won.”

Everton will bid to continue their unbeaten start to the campaign when they travel to Sheffield United this Saturday (kick-off 11am).

Sheffield also come into Saturday’s game unbeaten, although they have drawn three of their four matches.

EVERTON UNDER-18s: Stubhaug; Stewart, Sinnott, McCarten, Barnett; Krenn (Agard 65), O’Kane, Akpan, Redmond; Baxter, Codling. Subs: Stughaug, Rodwell, Shepperd.