After a quite remarkable year for Preston North End U19s, we’ve crunched the numbers from the fantastic season which saw the side win the Youth Alliance League and Cup double.
Nick Harrison’s team, after finishing fifth in the 2020/21 campaign, stormed their way to the league title this time around, accumulating 63 points from their 26 matches played in the EFL Youth Alliance North West Conference.
The U19s played 36 games in all youth competitions, coming out on top on 27 occasions, leaving them with a win rate of 75%.
The youngsters only tasted defeat on six occasions, with just three of those coming in the league, while also drawing three times.
A major source of success this season came from their clinical nature in front of goal, ending the season with a remarkable 102 goals from their 36 games, meaning they netted an average of 2.83 goals per match.
In fact, they scored four or more goals on 14 different occasions, including eight in the title-clinching victory away to Port Vale.
Jacob Holland-Wilkinson, who was eligible to play for the U19s as a first-year professional, finished the season as top scorer, with 20 goals scored in 17 games in all youth competitions.
Aaron Bennett and Mikey O’Neill – who have both signed professional contracts at PNE – finished as the joint-second top scorer, with 11 goals each to their name, with Bennett achieving that tally in just 12 matches after his return from injury.
The team also conceded just 36 goals all season, keeping 13 clean sheets along the way, while they let in just ten goals in the 13 league games played in 2022.
Given that many of those involved in the success were first-year scholars, and there are also first-year professionals who will be able to feature, there can be plenty of excitement as we approach the 2022/23 campaign, with ten new scholars added to the squad.