Everton U18s edge past Wolves

Can't see us getting too much coverage on this one from our beloved club but I hope I'm wrong.

Lot's "more important" stuff going on today (what could be more important than the Academy, I hear you cry!) for them to bother sending some junior oik down to Finch Farm to update the Match Centre on the official website.

They are at least updating the scoreline...

Matty Mallon scores after 12 minutes to put the Young Blues ahead 1-0.

Oooops… too much early optimism in play.

Wolves get one back on 25 minutes. 1-1

No stream on the website again, Michael? I'd rather watch this on the train than Chelsea v Man City on my BT Sports App.

Nah, no chance, Danny. You should be watching the girlies, shouldn't you?

Looks like Everton scored again through Issac Heath on 52 minutes. 2-1.

Kouyate (who's coming back from injury) subbed off on the hour for Halid Djankpata.

Michael, I'm not sure why but Owen Barker keeps coming up as “ Baker” in the sources for the team , it's happened a couple of games now. It'd help if our Club could be bothered giving a team sheet on Twitter.

Thanks, Phill, much appreciated. I stupidly assumed the club would of course get the names of their own players right! Doh!

I shall look out for that one in future.

Here's the club's report on the game:

Heath hits decisive goal in Everton Under-18 win

Hopefully Heath, Metcalfe, Lawrence and others will be looking at Dobbin's debut yesterday and thinking that could be them in a couple of years.

We now have Simms, Gordon, Dobbin, Onyango and Branthwaite in the first team reckoning - with Warrington possibly not too far away.

Obviously still a long way to go for all of them, but pleasing that Benitez appears to be (possibly out of necessity) buying into this.

Difficult to judge young Dobbin yesterday, especially in the context of a rather lukewarm affair, but I agree Robert. Either through necessity or strategy (who knows?), the manager trusted the lad.

He didn't set the world alight, but then didn't do a lot wrong. Pretty much sums up the team though.

As always, pleased to see an academy kid make it onto the pitch. Let's hope he builds on it. I don't know too much about him, but many here have been talking about him.

I think it's much too early to even think about judging. The key thing is that he's involved.

Yeah, I agree with that, Robert, positive that Benitez gave him game time.

While Dobbin is undoubtedly the most talented of our attackers, and has great potential, I've been disappointed with him so far this season at U23s. He's been taken off early a few times, not sure he's scored in the league and has sometimes been bullied by big defenders.

Just being around the first team will raise his game and present better training opportunities, working on his weaknesses etc.

As we're talking about young attackers, Emilio Lawrence could be the next to step up to the U23s, even as a Schoolboy. A very talented player that other clubs are well aware of, so I'm sure with Small in mind we'll be anxious to first get him on Scholar forms then sign Pro forms by showing him he'll get opportunities.

I don't know about you, Phill, but I'm at least as excited about the current crop of actual / potential U23 players (despite the less than brilliant results this season) as I was when the U23s were more dominant than they are now.

Brent, to be honest I temper my expectations now, and in my head compare them to the “Golden Generation”, my excitement then and how few measured up in the end.

I agree with your sentiments though, I love watching this current crop because of their potential, even if most won't make it and we'll likely lose more games than win at both U18 and U23.

And we're now showing more of the U23s games, it's a shame we don't get U18 games streamed too.

Do you think more of the supposedly golden generation would have come through, Phill, if the club would have been more settled at first-team level?

Phill (12), I've only seen Dobbin a couple of times this season and in both games he was used up front on his own, a bit like DCL was used in the first team, it's a very hard job chasing after looses balls without any support, but he got on with and with good control made use of the wayward passes while waiting for his team mates to help him out, not an ideal situation for a young lad. I think he has a lot of potential, like a lot of young lads starting, but he has to be used right.

Tony#16,

Yeah it's a good point. The RS had 16-year-old Kaide Gordon starting in the cup the other night alongside a number of what seems like decent squad players (on paper cos I don't watch them), so they could afford to do that ease him in. Imagine giving Dobbin a game against QPR in our team that night.

I was also thinking of the time Ryan Ledson was on the bench at 16 but Moyes never used him. It's hard to say Moyes was wrong given Ledson's subsequent progress but who knows “what if” if he'd have got 3 mins at the end?

Dave #17,

Don't get me wrong – I like Dobbin: plenty of potential, I just want to see more from him. They've played him in a three, alongside Cannon with Whitaker just behind, in a two with Whitaker, and on his own. He's looked sharp but rarely a goal threat, and only one goal in the cup so far. At the same age, the less talented Simms was scoring regularly at U23s, albeit in a stronger, more mature team.

As ever, we all watch the same match but form different opinions, and in terms of overall contribution, I've been much more impressed by Charlie Whitaker who's also been asked to play up front on his own at times. When he's played alongside Dobbin, it's been Whitaker who's been asked to track back and tackle in midfield.

To be honest I don't think they can wait around to be used right or allowed to play in their favourite position. As well as talent, they have to show a willingness to work and be adaptable. I think it's great that Benitez gave Dobbin his first team debut. I hope he continues with him in first team training – that's where he'll improve the most.