The Hatters Under-18s were presented with their EFL Youth Alliance South Division trophy at half-time of last night's U21 fixture with Oxford - on the day that the Under-16s also discovered they had won their equivalent title thanks to results elsewhere!
The Under-16s, coached by Jack Cartwright, play their final game this evening at Gillingham, and we will share a picture of the players and staff after that game has taken place and when they receive their trophy.
Joe Deeney's U18s got their hands on their silverware last night having finished the 27-game season with a record of 22 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses. A superb goal return has seen 85 league goals scored which is the highest in the division by some distance.
The group has showed an excellent ability to win in different ways and demonstrated the Luton Town “never say die” attitude throughout the season which has rightfully earned them the title.
Emphatic 5-0 wins against AFC Wimbledon, Bristol Rovers and Portsmouth as well as big 5-1 wins against Milton Keynes and Northampton Town highlighted the ruthlessness of the group.
The last seven games are when the group really dug in and showed incredible sprit. One defeat in the final 20 league games was crucial to winning the title.
An excellent return of six injury time goals in the last month turned a potential 12 points into a title winning 21 points. The group has a chance to complete the double on Sunday May 4th at the Swansea.com stadium in the PDL Cup Final.
The following notes were written by Academy Manager Paul Benson for the Coventry programme...
Good afternoon, everyone and welcome to the Kenny as the curtain closes on another season.
As always, the season has been full of ups and downs, and this has been no different within the Academy this year. Unlike the first team environment, Academy life is never purely judged on winning and losing. Development is a key word used and there have been some major signs of development that have taken place through the year both on and off the pitch.
Off the pitch we have improved our facilities with new offices for staff, alongside new changing rooms and classrooms for our players. A massive thank you goes to the Board for their continual investment and support for the Academy, which is now starting to pay dividends.
This leads me nicely onto the successes in development on the pitch. Zack Nelson and Joe Johnson are the visible successes with their appearances this season for our first team. At the time of writing they have had 1,409 minutes of action between them this season, the highest level Academy graduates have managed to achieve since 2018/19 when James Justin contributed 52 appearances the season we gained promotion to the Championship.
Other development successes this season have come in the way of Joshua Phillips making his first team debut as a late substitute in the away fixture at Bristol City and Jayden Luker with 26 appearances for Grimsby Town in League. Jayden is another player we hope will follow Zack, Joe and Joshua in representing our first team in the near future.
On the field, our Under-21 group has developed this season under the wonderful guidance of Alex Lawless, achieving progression from the group stages of the Premier League Cup with notable victories over Category 1 academies Brighton and Reading.
The Under-18s, brilliantly led by Joe Deeney, secured a third League championship in a row and our Under-17s have a Professional Development League Cup Final against Swansea City to look forward to on the 4th May.
It would be remiss of me not to use this opportunity to thank the staff and players at the Academy for all their hard work and commitment this season. Being involved in football, whatever the role, can be brutal at times and the effort it takes to do it right can take its toll. I’d be the first to admit I run a tight ship, so it’s only right that I acknowledge how much I value the staff and the job they do to help produce players that you, our supporters, can cheer on from the sidelines! There’s nothing better than having ‘one of your own’ to encourage from the stands!
Turning attention to this afternoon’s game, you can’t think of our opponents without being taken back to that magical day in May 2023. It was one of the biggest games in the club’s history, and what a day it was.
As fate would have it, today’s game against Coventry also holds a major significance in our history. A win today, like we achieved in the play-off final, would be a massive boost in our quest for survival in the Championship.
When I think of Luton great escapes, I think of the classic game against another side who play in Sky Blue. I’d love nothing more than to see the gaffer striding across the Kenilworth Road turf, Pleat-like, following a win for the lads today.
Everyone at the Academy is fully behind Matt and his staff and hoping we can achieve all three points this afternoon!
Come on you Hatters!
Benno
