Whalley Juniors Under15s 3

Crown Paints Under 15s 2

WHALLEY Juniors Under 15s grabbed a late winner to pick up their first ‘winter’ win in the East Lancashire Football Alliance.

With the Autumn League now done and dusted, attentions have turned to the Winter League, Whalley twice came from behind to beat their Darwen rivals in an entertaining clash on the 3G pitches at Burnley College.

There was little to separate the sides in the first half with both teams looking to get a hold of the game in a battle for midfield supremacy.

And it was Crown who went ahead when Derry Macdonald broke the deadlock after 20 minutes, pouncing on a loose ball after Brandon Brown’s superb 30-yard strike hit the cross bar and rebounded off the keeper in to the path of the Crown player.

After the break, Whalley went on the attack looking for an equaliser which came when Ruben Smith raced on to a fine through ball to level matters.

But Crown quickly regained their lead through captain Ellis Nicholson.

With the action going from end to end, Whalley went in search of another equaliser. Crown looked comfortable and withheld the pressure until a shot from Fraser Kenny was initially saved by keeper Ethan Elmy but it cruelly span into the net to make it 2-2.

The final 10 minutes was a great spectacle with both teams going for the win and either team could have come out on top. But with the game heading for a draw, Whalley grabbed a last minute winner another long through ball split the Crown defence and Harvey McKenna kept his cool to slot his shot past the keeper.

Crown Paints: Ethan Elmy, Lucas Fawcett, Ben Edge, Brinn Marsh, Michael Forkin, Kian Walsh, Benjy Wiggins, Harry Turnbull, Ellis Nicholson (captain), Derry Macdonald, Brandon Brown.

Whalley Juniors: Jack Travers, Finley Barrow, Ruben Smith, Max Henderson, Billy Howland, McKenzie Strong, Oliver Rawson, Matty Carroll, Patrick Cavannagh, Fraser Kenny, Harvey McKenna, Bradley Barnes, Tom Johnson.