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Sam's the man again as the Boys run riot

24/ 7/2002

MIDDLETON Boys under 11s met Chadderton Juniors in their second serious pre-season friendly.

Chadderton have a good name, and were expected to give Middleton a real test. But Middleton are no respecters of reputations, every team they play against gets treated the same, and Middleton play to win.

The game started with a bang when new skipper Kieran McCarthy won a 50/50 ball in the centre of midfield and played a one-two with Sam Freakes who slotted the ball under the keeper. Vinny Howell scored a second after good work by Anthony Hoolickin, and Middleton were 2-0 up with only seven minutes gone.

Sam Freakes, last season's top scorer, popped up to lob the keeper after a bad clearance. He scored again after Tom Jones had slid the ball through, and it was 4-0 with 15 minutes gone.

Sam completed his hat-trick when he rounded two defenders before blasting home. Skipper McCarthy scored again, from the tightest of angles.

Freakes' strike partner Howells didn't want to be left behind, and he thrashed a right-foot strike home just before the half time whistle.

The second half was more of the same as Freakes scored his fourth, and then a fifth, direct from a corner. Shaun Ryder came off the bench and scored with his first touch. Andy Parfitt replaced Hoolickin, and he scored in a bottom corner, giving the keeper no chance.

Mike Urqhart, who had worked hard for the full game, was rewarded when he tapped home.

Reserve keeper Luke Bagshaw came of the bench to play up front, and with seconds to go he hammered home a shot through a crowded defence and into a top corner, much to the delight of all.

This wasn't the test that Middleton thought it would be, but Chadderton, to their credit, never gave in, as they competed for nearly every ball.