Westerhope United U13 Gold Edge Thrilling 3-2 Away Win

Westerhope United U13 Gold travelled to face North Shields Juniors U13 on 12 October 2025, with kick-off at 10:15am. In a pulsating league encounter lasting 70 minutes plus added time, Westerhope emerged victorious by a narrow 3-2 margin.

Westerhope lined up in a 4-1-2-3 formation, deploying Lucas in goal to marshal the defence. The back four consisted of Luke H at right back, Daniel and Riley as central defenders, and Jake on the left flank. Jackson operated as the lone holding midfielder, tasked with shielding the defence and distributing the ball forward. Ahead of him, Tommy-Lee took up the right attacking midfield role, with Zak on the left, both expected to support the front three. The attacking trio featured Finley on the right wing, Logan leading the line as striker, and Joe on the left wing. The substitutes available were Craig and Luke M.

The match burst into life within the opening minutes as Westerhope took an early lead. Just two minutes in, goalkeeper Lucas launched a long pass that found Tommy-Lee, who expertly controlled and fired a close-range right-footed finish past the North Shields keeper. However, the Reds responded swiftly, equalising in the fourth minute to level the scores.

Westerhope regained the advantage in the 17th minute when Logan capitalised on a close-range opportunity, slotting the ball home with his right foot to make it 2-1. Shortly after this breakthrough, the first substitutions were made in the 18th minute: Craig replaced Joe on the left forward position, while Luke M came on for Logan up front.

The home side pressed for an equaliser but Westerhope’s goalkeeper Lucas remained alert, and his distribution proved crucial once more. In the 35th minute, Lucas delivered another precise long pass, this time finding Craig, who coolly finished with his left foot to extend the lead to 3-1. This goal arrived just before half-time, giving Westerhope a valuable cushion going into the break.

The second half saw further tactical adjustments. In the 37th minute, Logan returned to the pitch, replacing Finley on the right forward role. Shortly after the restart, Joe was reintroduced on the left wing in place of Luke M at the 46th minute mark. Then, in the 55th minute, Finley came back on for Zak, who had started on the left attacking midfield.

Despite the lead, North Shields Juniors U13 Reds fought back and pulled a goal back in the 63rd minute, setting up a tense finale. Westerhope responded with a final substitution in the 67th minute, bringing Zak back on for Jackson in midfield, likely to inject fresh energy and maintain control.

The match concluded with Westerhope United U13 Gold holding on to a hard-fought 3-2 victory on the road. The early goals from Tommy-Lee and Logan, combined with Craig’s impactful contribution after coming on, proved decisive. Lucas’s commanding presence in goal and his pinpoint long passes were instrumental throughout the contest.

Tommy-Lee and Lucas were named players of the match, reflecting their vital roles in both attack and defence. Westerhope’s resilience and tactical flexibility ultimately secured them all three points in this closely contested league fixture.