Coach reacts to Carlisle United's youth cup final defeat

Jon Colman Wed, 4 March 2026 at 11:30 am UTC·4 min read Mark Birch said he couldn’t fault the efforts of his young players as Carlisle United’s hopes of cup glory were dashed by Blackpool. A stunning late strike by the hosts’ Harry Williamson saw the young Blues beaten 2-1 in Tuesday’s EFL Youth Alliance Cup northern final.Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was a tight contest at Common Edge with Carlisle coming from behind when Reuben Towers scored to cancel out Tai Bell’s own goal, before Williamson’s impressive volley settled the contest in the 88th minute. “I can’t really fault the players,” said United under-18s boss Birch. “You don’t see many cup finals where you see teams or...