A Tough Defeat for Stoke City U21 in the National League Cup

In this important tournament for Stoke City U21, we saw how they momentarily shifted focus from Premier League 2 to put everything into this National League Cup match, a competition designed for young footballers developing into professional athletes.

This time, they faced a tough opponent from the National League: Oldham Athletic, a Manchester-based team currently enjoying an impressive winning streak. Oldham extended that run by securing a victory against Stoke City U21 in this match.

READ MORE: Stoke City’s October Schedule

It was a challenging game for Ryan Shawcross' squad.

The English coach Ryan Shawcross remains in charge of Stoke City U21, managing the club's lower divisions and striving to achieve positive results both in Premier League 2 and now in the National League Cup. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a difficult match.

Stoke City U21 appeared determined to leave it all on the field, but that effort wasn’t reflected in the score. At the 29th minute, Alex Reid scored the opening goal for Oldham Athletic, putting Stoke City U21 at a disadvantage. The score remained 1-0 in favor of Oldham as both teams went into halftime.

In the second half, Stoke City hoped to show a better performance. Several changes were made in an attempt to turn the game around and perhaps even secure a comeback. Ryan Shawcross introduced a few new players, including Jaden Mears, who entered the game in the 64th minute.

Mears made an immediate impact, scoring the equalizer just three minutes after coming on, leveling the match at 1-1. Stoke City U21 seemed to improve, but just minutes later, Oldham Athletic struck again. Harry Williams Charlesley scored to put Oldham back in the lead with a 2-1 advantage, a blow that proved decisive.

With only 18 minutes left in the game, Stoke City U21 couldn’t find another equalizer. The match ended 2-1 in favor of Oldham Athletic, leaving Ryan Shawcross' squad in a difficult position. This defeat marked their fifth consecutive loss, including matches from both Premier League 2 and now the National League Cup. It's a tough stretch for Stoke City U21, but they are already preparing for their next challenge: a match against Middlesbrough U21 on October 4.