Preview | Swansea City U18s v Ipswich Town U18s
Swansea City Under-18s are in Professional Development League action for the first time in 2024 as they welcome Ipswich Town to Landore Training Ground on Saturday morning (11am).
The young Swans signed off 2023 with a 3-1 win over AFC Bournemouth in December, thanks to goals from Rohan Davies, Jacob Cook and Thomas Woodward.
The Tractor Boys have won two of their last five league fixtures, courtesy of high-scoring wins against Colchester United and Queens Park Rangers respectively.
The Swans currently sit fifth in the south division, knowing a win could boost them into third place ahead of their trip to QPR next week.
Pre-match views
Coach Ollie Jefferies: "The boys would have had some quality time with friends and family over the Christmas break, we had some local boys in with the under-21s over Christmas also.
"The boys will ready to go after rejuvenating over the break, January is a busy period for us and we need to make sure we prepare and recover correctly.
"We played Ipswich in the FA Youth Cup in December at Portman Road, they didn't make it easy for us and we look forward to welcoming them to Landore."
Swansea City 5 Ipswich Town 3
Swansea City Under-18s returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion as a hat-trick from Iwan Morgan and goals from Thomas Searle and Dan Watts sealed victory in an eight-goal thriller on Ipswich Town’s last visit to Landore.
Morgan netted his 22nd and 23rd goal of the season respectively after coverting from the spot and drilling home from close-range with half-hour played.
But the visitors pulled one back just moments later as Trialist B swept down the left to find the net to halve the deficit, and the Trialist would go on to complete his hat-trick after the break with two goals in 10 minutes.
However, the Swans responded with three goals in the final 25 minutes to claim the points, with Morgan getting the first of them to complete his hat-trick to level the scores.
A maiden goal from Searle for the under-18s put the Swans back in charge, before Watts finished off the afternoon with a lovely strike from distance.
Swansea City Under-18s: Ewan Griffiths, Arthur Parker, Richard Faakye, Jada Mawongo, Dan Watts (Charlie Veevers 83'), Sam Parker (Yori Griffith 45'), Thomas Woodward, Geoff Bony (Geoff Bony 81'), Iwan Morgan, Zane Myers (Thomas Searle 62').
Unused subs: Kit Margetson.