Cheltenham Town, Derby County and Oldham Athletic all remain undefeated after they each played their second match on LFE’s pre-season tour of the Netherlands at the weekend.
Cheltenham set the ball rolling with a 2-0 win over a Willem II side that contained six Dutch U17 Internationals on Saturday.
In a match played in the sunshine of Tilburg, The Robins opened the scoring on 20 minutes through Harry Williams who smashed home a volley from 10 yards out after a goalmouth scramble.
The host side threatened to equalise as a raft of changes were made in the second period but Russ Milton’s side were not to be denied.
And when Kieran Whitehead played a ball through the Willem defence Zach Kotwica was on to it like a flash to finish expertly and wrap up the game.
While Cheltenham’s result was never in doubt the same could not be said of the two other football league clubs in action that afternoon with both Derby and Oldham’s apprentices proving themselves comeback kids.
Oldham line up for battle with NEC Nijmegen.
Over in Rotterdam a strong Feyenoord side threatened to put the game beyond the Rams in the first 45 minutes.
Dominating possession from kick-off the Dutch outfit constructed wave after wave of attacks in a one sided first-half. But a combination of wasteful finishing and resolute defending saw The Rams, for whom keeper Ross Etheridge and defender Josh Lelan were outstanding, went into the break all square.
Darren Wassall’s men started the second period in a more positive fashion enjoying far more control of the football. However just when it looked like they had weathered the Feyenoord storm, midfielder, Jesse Driebergan stepped forward to put the home side ahead on 67 minutes.
And when defender Niek Ossevoort added the second four minutes later it looked a long way back for the young Rams.
But Wassall’s side were thrown a lifeline on 83 minutes when Kurt Regan was felled in the penalty area. Rhys Sharpe stepped forward to slam home the resultant penalty and it was game on.
And when Ayrton Wassall slid in to equalise on 85 minutes an unlikely victory was on the cards.
With Feyenoord’s once impregnable defence now seemingly all over the place Andre Johnson had an effort cleared off the line before new Irish star Daryl Carrigy just failed to convert a chance at the far post in the dying seconds.
Oldham Athletic were the final English side in action over the weekend and they too came from behind to draw 1-1 NEC Nijmegen.
In a keenly contested but open first-half Carlton McIntosh was unlucky to not break the deadlock when his excellent long range effort hit the woodwork.
It looked like being one of those days, when NEC took the lead after the award of a dubious penalty on 70 minutes but Tony Philliskirk’s men struck back ten minutes later through Jordan Bove.
Bove then had a chance to win it in the final minute but he pulled his shot wide with the goal at his mercy.
