Leeds United U21s suffer EFL Trophy defeat despite impressive spells against Oldham Athletic

Leeds United Under-21s were beaten 4-2 by Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park on Tuesday evening, as the League Two side used their experience to turn the EFL Trophy Group G contest around after an encouraging performance from Scott Gardner’s young side.

Goals from Callum Mills and Carrick Njinko had put Leeds in front during either half, but the hosts responded through Kane Drummond, Josh Hawkes and Kai Payne after Noah Chilvers had opened the scoring from the penalty spot.

The result leaves Leeds needing a positive outcome against Fleetwood Town in their final group fixture next month if they are to progress to the knockout stages, with both sides level on three points after two matches.

Having started their campaign with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Barnsley, Leeds travelled to Greater Manchester hoping to build on that result against senior opposition.

However, the visitors were forced to withstand early pressure as Oldham looked to impose themselves at Boundary Park.

Louis Enahoro-Marcus was required to clear a dangerous delivery before Leeds began to threaten at the other end.

Harvey Vincent drove into the penalty area down the right and unleashed a powerful effort which took a deflection and narrowly missed the target.

Oldham responded through Mike Fondop, whose low strike was kept out by the outstretched boot of goalkeeper Rory Mahady after a quarter of an hour.

Leeds continued to create opportunities, with Freddie Lane's looping cross allowing Alfie Cresswell to attempt an acrobatic volley.

The effort narrowly cleared the crossbar as the Whites grew into the contest.

Kai Payne then came close to breaking the deadlock for the hosts, striking the woodwork with a long-range effort before Kane Drummond was unable to convert the rebound.

Oldham eventually took the lead in the 27th minute when Noah Chilvers converted from the penalty spot following a foul inside the area.

Leeds responded well to falling behind and restored parity just five minutes later. Vincent delivered a cross from the right which took a deflection, allowing Mills to position himself perfectly and guide a close-range header beyond goalkeeper Aston Wilson.

The goal continued Mills' impressive start to the competition after his hat-trick in the opening victory over Barnsley.

The attacking midfielder almost added another before half-time, attacking a further Vincent delivery but failing to direct his volley on target.

The sides went into the interval level at 1-1, with Leeds having recovered well after conceding the opener.

Gardner made a change at half-time, introducing forward Njinko for left-back Louie Philpott and adjusting his team's system in search of a second goal. The alteration quickly paid dividends.

Just six minutes into the second half, Mills helped release Njinko down the left, with the forward receiving the ball with his back to goal.

After producing an impressive turn to escape his marker, Njinko fired beyond Wilson to give Leeds the lead for the first time.

However, the advantage lasted only moments. Oldham responded through Drummond, who lifted a clever chip over the advancing Mahady to bring the hosts level at 2-2.

The game opened up as both teams searched for another goal, with Leeds looking to make the most of their attacking threat while Oldham increasingly found space in the final third.

The decisive spell arrived during the final quarter of the contest. Leeds captain Ollie Pickles cleared a loose ball towards the edge of the penalty area, but Hawkes was on hand to strike a powerful first-time effort into the net and restore Oldham's advantage in the 67th minute.

The hosts struck again almost immediately. This time, Hawkes turned provider, releasing Payne, who showed composure to beat Mahady and extend the lead to 4-2 just a minute later.

Having conceded twice in quick succession, Leeds attempted to find a route back into the match.

Mahady prevented the deficit from growing when he stood his ground to deny Zain Tahir after the Oldham full-back had beaten the offside trap and raced into the penalty area.

At the other end, Josh McDonald looked to use his pace to trouble the hosts during the closing stages.

The substitute worked his way inside from the left but could only fire wide under pressure from two retreating Oldham defenders.

The final whistle confirmed a frustrating evening for Leeds, who had demonstrated their attacking quality for long periods but were ultimately unable to contain Oldham's response after taking the lead.

Despite the defeat, the Whites remain in contention to reach the knockout stages of the EFL Trophy.

With Leeds and Fleetwood Town both sitting on three points after two matches, their meeting at Highbury next month could prove decisive in determining which side advances.

For Gardner's young squad, the challenge will be to carry the positive elements of their performance into that final group fixture while learning from the spell in which Oldham took control of Tuesday evening's encounter.