Lancaster City 2 PNE Under-21s 2: Late goals earn North End youngsters a draw
With 10 minutes remaining, North End’s Under-21s appeared to be heading for defeat in their friendly at Giant Axe.
But two goals from Michael Ayodele pulled back a two-goal deficit to earn Ryan Taylor's side a creditable draw against their NPL opponents.
The game had barely just kicked off when, after the home side had won a throw-in on the right-hand side, the ball was played back to captain Sam Bailey, whose teasing cross was flicked on to the back post and headed in by Dom Lawson.
The visitors almost equalised when Kaeydn Kamara just failed to force home a cross from Harry Stringfellow.
He, along with Ed Nolan, Troy Tarry, George Gryba and Nathan Snowball has just agreed professional terms and they will help form the nucleus of the new team who this season will compete in the second tier of the FA Premier Under-21 League for the first time in their history.
Before the break young keeper Brandon Milne did well when saving with his legs to stop Lawson adding a second goal to his tally.
There was no further scoring until seven minutes after the interval when Steven Yawson turned the ball in at the back post following a low cross from Jim Craig to give the Dolly Blues a two-goal advantage.
North End fielded five trialists in their 18-man squad and they were all utilised in a second half which was heavily punctuated by substitutions.
Ten minutes from time substitute Ayodele gave PNE a way back into the game when, with his back to goal, he turned his marker 10 yards out and prodded the ball into the corner of the net.
In the final minute, PNE equalised with a superb goal on the counter-attack which originated from their own goalkeeper, when the ball was rolled out to Kacper Pasiek.
He made a surging forward run upfield before squaring the ball to Ayodele, who took a couple of strides from his position 25 yards out and then rifled the ball in past the home keeper.
PNE’S strong finish almost won them the game at the death but Clayton Lescott’s header went over the bar, much to the relief of the home supporters in the crowd of 296.
North End’s youngsters’ next friendly is against Marine on Saturday (3pm).