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Takudzwa Chitsiga-Sports Reporter
ENGLAND-BORN Zimbabwean footballer Vernon Masara made all the difference when Burnley Under-18 defeated visiting American side Millersville University IX in a pre-season match at the Burnley Training Centre on Monday.
The 17-year-old son of Anywhere Masara and Lizzie Chitsiga managed to score a second half brace that saw the Young Clarets winning 2-1.
The comeback win was second consecutive pre-season win for the young Clarets who are under the guidance of Tony Philliskirk.
Winger Masara was at the double, bagging a second half brace to seal a comeback victory after the Young Clarets had fallen behind late on in the first half.
Having spent time with the first team squad, goalkeeper Charlie Casper returned to the starting line-up as one of four changes from the success against Dundee United up in Scotland.
Starting brightly, Masara beat his man down the right wing on six minutes and squared for Sonny Pickup whose strike was palmed away by Millersville goalkeeper Bobby Bosch.
Masara also played Joe Westley through on goal at the half-hour mark, but Bosch again denied the striker.
At the other end, Casper had to be alert one-on-one to deny the visitors, with Tosin Olopade clearing up the rebound.
And though Burnley had dominated much of the play throughout the first half, the Marauders struck first four minutes before the break with Christian Vorchheimer taking advantage of a defensive mix-up to curl into the back of the net.
At the break, Joe Ashton and Lucas Wane replaced Brad Grant and Masara but the replaced pair would eventually return back onto the pitch before the end of the contest as Philliskirk made further changes, permitted due to the game being a friendly.
Brad Grant – back on in place of Callum West – played the ball into Masara’s feet inside the box, and having turned his man, he fired an emphatic strike into the roof of the net.
Masara and Bosch were to become familiar foes, the ‘keeper denying him a second moments later at close range, while Valverde also earned his side a succession of corners with a deflected effort.
With the game in its closing stages and an end-to-end affair, the deciding goal eventually came on 88 minutes with the Grant-Masara link-up effective again. This time, a low drilled cross from Grant was poked home by the winger on the slide from a matter of yards out to seal the victory.
Philliskirk’s side round off their pre-season preparations tomorrow against Southampton at St George’s Park before they start their season against Watford on August 13.
Online Reporter