Barry | Archive | 2004 | August | 12
From the archive, first published Thursday 12th Aug 2004.
BARRY Town's under-17 Youth Academy has just returned from playing in The Nations Cup in America.
The 20-man squad coached by ex-Town player Adrian Harding played in the International Tournament at Cocoa Beach, Florida - home of the American national team.
Barry Town's management team Adrian Harding and Paul Trotman have spent the last eight weeks preparing for the trip.
'A' class coach Harding insisted on four training sessions a week leading up to the tournament, developing the youngsters' fitness levels to enable them to play in temperatures approaching 100 degrees.
Barry Town faced testing opposition from Barbados, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Ohio and Florida but came through to face last year's champions Boca Pro Shottas from Barbados in the semi-finals.
Superb defensive displays from Mitchel Taylor Moore, Michael Osborne and Lucan Armstrong kept the pacy Barbados players at bay.
Confident goalkeeping by Peter Gee and two superb goals by strikers Matt Trotman and Sean Nash saw the team win 2-1 to claim their place in the final against Florida's number one youth team.
Sean Nash headed Barry Town into a 1-0 half-time lead, with excellent work by Dani Jones, Mitchell Sales, Andrew Muscat and Danny James in midfield.
A bizarre sending off left Barry without their playmaker Dani Jones just ten minutes into the second half.
Defenders Joel Harrison, Eliot Vedmore and captain Sion Anstee worked tirelessly. With 15 minutes left striker Sean Nash pulled a muscle, midfield dynamo Rhys Atley came off injured, and Barry became stretched with Anthony Barratt in goal under bombardment.
The Florida Champions scored four goals in the last 12 minutes to run out comfortable winners on the day.
Academy Director Mike Coslett said: "Adrian Harding has done an excellent job in getting the boys to the final and I am sure that some of his squad will end up knocking on the door for the senior team."
Chairman Stuart Lovering added: "To compete successfully at such a high level shows the talent Barry Town has coming through the ranks."
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