This game of two contrasting halves was our first F.A. Youth Cup outing of the season.
The team travelled to Maine Road with a very inexperienced squad as far as this competition was concerned. Undaunted by this we began brightly and unsettled City with some high intensity pressurising and some neat, quick passing once in possession. This earned us an early chance taken by Bruce Lwando who cut inside and drove over from twenty yards.
As we built from the back with Dean Leacock and Zesh Rehman who were instrumental in playing out, we began to get the ball into wide areas where Michael Timlin and David Shevel started to deliver the ball into dangerous areas. In contrast City were more direct and began to get more into the game as the half wore on, which resulted in four successive attempts on our goal with Ross Flitney saving two and two narrowly missing his right post.
Our style was beginning to dominate and a move down the left resulted in a corner from which our captain Antony Howard prodded home from close range on 37 minutes. We then lost Michael Timlin on the left due to an injury and he was replaced by Justin Wilson. City began to rally in reply and finished the half strongly with the majority of possession in the final few minutes.
After the interval our passing style seemed to diminish and we looked rushed and anxious in our play. The immediacy of the pressure was not so evident and City began to dominate. The early promise shown by Bruce Lwando up front faded and we found it hard to retain possession anywhere on the pitch. City fashioned three clear-cut opportunities, which they squandered.
We introduced Chris Lock to stabilize the shape of the midfield and began to resemble some organisation. As both teams tired, the game became stretched and spaces appeared amongst the ranks of both line-ups.
Ralph Frempong came on for Bruce Lwando and was nearly gifted the final chance of the game after good interplay in the midfield released Eddie McClements whose angled shot was clung on to by the city goalkeeper as Ralph Frempong reacted first and raced in for any spillage’s.
Team:
Ross Flitney, Antony Howard©, Adam Green, Eddie McClements, Dean Leacock, Zesh Rehman, David Shevel, Tom Davis (Lock 72), Bruce Lwando (Ralph Frempong 78), Billy Harding, Michael Timlin (Justin Wilson 39)
Subs not used:
Peter Hudson (GK), Chris Wales
Source Fulham by Paul Nevin