Leeds United U21s Beat Barnsley 4-3 in EFL Trophy Thriller
The short version
- Leeds United U21s defeated Barnsley 4-3 in the EFL Trophy.
- Callum Mills scored a hat-trick in the win.
- Coach Scott Gardner praised the group but said they could have won by a wider margin.
- Nearly 400 Leeds fans traveled for the match.
- Gardner said development remains the side's priority.
Scott Gardner's young side built a four-goal lead, including a Callum Mills hat-trick, before holding off a late Barnsley fightback.
Leeds United's Under-21 side claimed a 4-3 EFL Trophy win over Sky Bet League One club Barnsley, with nearly 400 traveling Leeds supporters on hand for the away fixture.
The young Leeds team surged into a 4-0 advantage, helped by a hat-trick from Callum Mills, before conceding three goals late in the contest to make the finish tighter than the performance suggested.
Head coach Scott Gardner said he was proud of what he called a special group, while noting that the scoreline could have been even more one-sided based on the first-half display. He added that conceding three goals at the end served as a valuable learning experience for his players.
Gardner also reflected on the campaign so far, saying the team had stepped up since an early fixture against Boreham Wood and that playing these competitive matches weekly aids the group's development, which he called the priority.
Written by the Matchday Live desk from reporting by Yahoo Sports.
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