Young Terriers defeated by holders
- Town lose in FA Youth Cup Third Round
- Holders Chelsea win in Aldershot
- Dylan Cogill scores for Town
For the second successive season, Tony Carss’ Town Under-18 side found holders Chelsea too much to handle in the FA Youth Cup.
There is no disgrace in losing to the two-time winners in tonight’s game at Aldershot, but Carss will have wanted more quality in possession from his side despite the game-plan being somewhat scuppered by a third minute opener.
Trailing by two at the interval, a Dylan Cogill header gave the Terriers some hope of mounting a comeback after a decent start to the second period, but Chelsea’s third effectively put the game to bed before the Blues made the defeat heavier with three late goals.
Life was made immediately difficult for the young Terriers by the concession of the opening goal within three minutes through Chelsea’s first proper attack of the game.
Left winger Jay Dasilva drove at Town’s England Under-17 international Jordan Williams and found a yard to deliver a cross right onto striker Tammy Abraham’s head. The tall forward netted twice in the corresponding Fourth Round fixture last season and made no mistake with his header, planting the ball past the Town goalkeeper from close range.
That goal visibly rattled Carss’ side and they struggled to hold onto the ball for long stages of the half as the hosts pushed forward.
That gave Town goalkeeper Jake Turner – on work experience from Bolton Wanderers as usual custodian Tadhg Ryan can’t play as an overage player in the Youth Cup – the chance to shine. He did well to spring from his line in the 13th minute to clear a dangerous pass intended for Abraham to safety before pulling off a great save two minutes later, reacting to push away Abraham’s goalwards flick from another cross into the area.
The Terriers gradually got their defensive shape back and made it difficult for the Blues to pick a path through the middle of the pitch, with central midfielders Booty, Spencer and Warde screening the defenders.
Unfortunately, a second goal followed for the hosts in the 33rd minute; a carbon copy of the first as Dasilva found room for another pinpoint centre onto Abraham’s waiting head.
With Head Coach David Wagner watching on from the stands, Town finally created three presentable chances – but failed to take any. First Rekeil Pyke was denied by a recovering tackle after brushing off slipping centre back Jake Clarke Salter before the striker setup the chance of the half for Booty. Pyke’s cross was right onto Regan’s foot and although he poked the ball past the goalkeeper, a defender comfortably got back to clear.
Pyke had another decent chance moments later when centre back Cogill found him in space with a cross from the right, but he placed his header too close to the goalkeeper.
You felt that Town needed to have taken one of those openings to have any chance of a comeback against the reigning two-time winners of the FA Youth Cup, but to their credit the side came out well in the second half and soon got a goal to make things interesting.
Having won a corner on the left side, Jack Boyle’s delivery was flicked on at the near post by Jamie Spencer and headed home at the far by centre back Dylan Cogill.
Unfortunately for those of a Town persuasion, the excellent Dasilva then had a big hand in restring the home side’s two goal lead around 10 minutes later. The winger collected a cross-field pass brilliantly to take Jordan Williams completely out of the game and slid the ball across the face of goal, leading to Town centre half Jacob Hanson turning the ball past his own ‘keeper.
That goal took all the sting out of Town’s momentum and Chelsea dominated the ball for the majority of the half, eventually scoring a fourth when sub Ike Ugbo tapped home from close range after Abraham hit the post with a poked snapshot.
Turner had another chance to shine seven minutes from time, turning Abraham’s free kick from 20 yards out onto his crossbar superbly before denying another Chelsea at point-blank range.
Sub Cedwyn Scott volleyed one of Town's best chances wide of target on the cusp of the 90th minute after good work on the left from Sam Warde, but in the end Chelsea netted two more through sub Dujon Sterling and Abraham, who got his hat-trick despite a brace of superb reaction stops from Turner.
Town’s team (4-1-4-1):
Jake Turner; Harry Clibbens, Dylan Cogill, Jacob Hanson, Jordan Williams; Regan Booty; Jack Boyle (Luca Colville, 88), Sam Warde, Jamie Spencer (c), Adam Porritt (Lewis O’Brien, 46); Rekeil Pyke (Cedwyn Scott, 63)
Unused subs:
Owen Brooke, Callum Elliott
Town bookings:
Harry Clibbens (40); Jacob Hanson (75); Dylan Cogill (82)
