Youth Team Coach Terry Pashley has hailed his Burnley players after they knocked Manchester United out of the FA Youth Cup at Old Trafford on Friday night.
“It was just a fantastic night and a great result,” Pashley told the clubs website.
“They showed so much composure, quality and a lot of grit and determination because towards the there was a lot of tired bodies out there.
“You don’t get much tougher than coming here, and at Old Trafford you are always going to be classed as an underdog.
“We were no different, but this is the Cup and we have just caused a bit of an upset and whoever we get now, we can’t waste this result.”
The third round encounter, a battle between two clubs who had both fallen at the semi-final stage last year, was as pulsating as the 4-3 score-line suggests.
In front of a 3,146 crowd Burnley edged ahead through Cameron Howieson’s 37th minute header but United drew level before the interval when James Weir fired past Callum Jakovlevs.
Then in an extraordinary 16 minutes four goals were scored. United twice went ahead through Nicholas Ioannou and Donald Love (younger brother of Burnley’s, Archie Love) but were pegged back on both occasions by Jason Gilchrist goals which sent the tie into extra-time.
Jakovlevs then came to the Clarets rescue during the first period of extra-time – beating away Ben Pearson’s goal bound effort and with both team’s looking fatigued Burnley snatched a winner.
15-year-old substitute Bradley Jackson skipped away down the right before measuring his cross to perfection to allow Gilchrist to nod in his hat-trick with eight minutes remaining.
And Pashley admits that the goal-scoring exploits of United fan Gilchrist, was not unexpected with the striker having already recorded three hat-tricks this season prior to the trip to the Theatre of Dreams.
“They started quite well and as the game goes on we went behind, but Jason does what he does and got another three!”
“He has played up there a number of times on his own and we know that if you give him a chance he knows where the net it. He has composure and awareness and he gets all types of goals, but the cross from Brad Jackson, who is only 15 by the way, was something else.”
“To go past I don’t know how many players and then put the pinpoint cross on Jason’s head was fantastic. It just shows again we have some good young players who have had a fantastic experience and it won’t get better than this.”
“The Manager (Sean Dyche) was here watching and he’s been in the changing room before and after the game.”
“He has an important game tomorrow, but he has taken time to stay and watch and I am sure the lads appreciate that. We certainly did as staff.”
