U18s Beat Forest On Penalties in Youth Cup to Set Up Liverpool Tie Tuesday, 17th Jan 2023 21:48 Rio Morgan netted the decisive penalty as Town’s U18s beat Nottingham Forest 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time at a freezing Portman Road to go through to round five of the FA Youth Cup and a home tie against Liverpool. Northern Ireland U19 international Morgan gave the Blues the lead in the first half but Esapa Osong equalised for the visitors in the second with neither side able to claim a winner in injury time before Town ran out victors in a nervy shoot-out. Town, who are coached by Sam Darlow and who had manager Kieran McKenna, Conor Chaplin, George Edmundson and keeper-coach Rene Gilmartin watching from a box, started with Woody Williamson in goal, Ben Haddoch at right-back, Harry Barbrook at left-back and Dan Cousens and Calum Logan the centre-halves. In midfield, Fin Barbrook was behind Osman Foyo and Jack Manly, the only player with first-team experience, with Rio Morgan and Nico Valentine the number 10s and Oli Davis the lone central striker. Gerrard Buabo missed out with a hamstring injury sustained in the U21s at Brightlingsea last week. On four, Blues keeper Williamson was off his line quickly to clear ahead of Forest striker Osong. A minute later, Davis struck the first shot of the match from just outside to the right which visitors keeper Aaron Bott scrambled uncomfortably wide. In the 11th minute, Fin Barbrook played a quick free-kick to Valentine midway inside the Town half and the forward, who is currently on loan at Bury Town, brought the ball past a number of static defenders before shooting wide. Town, with former West Hamand QPR defender Anton Ferdinand among those watching from the Cobbold Stand, were well in control and a minute later Manly curled a 25-yard free-kick not too far wide of Bott’s right post. On 13 Zach Abbott was shown the game’s first yellow card for tripping Valentine with Town winning plenty of free-kicks in the Forest half. The visitors’ first chance of the game came in the 24th minute. Josh Powell sent over a corner from the right and Jack Thompson headed powerfully just wide at the near post. But Town had been the better side and in charge and they finally went ahead in the 27th minute. Keeper Bott spilled a deflected cross, then Davis’s follow-up was blocked, as was Morgan's subsequent effort. Valentine’s third attempt was going wide but keeper Bott had lost his bearings and palmed it out to Morgan, who slammed low into the net. The goal seemed to wake Forest up and just before the half hour, George Hemmings shot not too far over from a tight angle on the left from a corner. However, the game quickly returned to its earlier pattern, Morgan cutting in from the right and hitting a powerful effort which Bott batted behind for the first of two Blues corners. From the second, Harry Barbrook was unable to make a clean contact on the edge of the box and the ball looped wide. In the 35th minute, Morgan was sent away on the right and, after his cross had been cut out, struck two shots which were blocked, the second for another Town corner. Forest’s only threat had been from corners and on 37 Abbott turned a flag-kick from the left goalwards but the ball was cleared. The East Midlanders should have levelled soon afterwards when Joe Gardner crossed from the right but Hemmings scuffed his effort at goal when he seemed certain to score and Williamson pawed away from his top right corner. Forest made a change ahead of the start of the second half, Archie Whitehall taking over from Hemmings. The visitors had a chance within a minute, a corner from the right falling to Abbott but the centre-half hooked wide when he should have done much better. Moments later, Blues skipper Manly was booked for kicking the ball away to prevent Forest from taking a free-kick. On 48, Morgan beat his man as the Blues broke down the right and crossed for Davis, but the striker’s effort at goal was too close to Bott, who claimed. Almost immediately at the other end, Osong got in behind the Town defence but took his shot very early and Williamson saved and then claimed at the second attempt. Forest left-back Justin Hawks picked up a knock and underwent treatment before being replaced by Danny Anisjko on 58. Almost immediately, Josh Powell curled in a free-kick from the left and Osong rose unchallenged at the back post but headed straight at Williamson. Forest were seeing more of the ball in the second half but with Town looking a threat on the break, particularly through Morgan. On 67 Osong pulled a shot well wide before the Blues swapped skipper Manly for Tom Taylor. And a minute later, the visitors levelled. Osong was found just outside the area and worked himself space before smashing a right-foot shot past Williamson and into the net. Almost immediately, Town had a chance to go back in front, Davis playing in Osman Foyo on the left of the box from where the recent signing from Norwich struck a shot which was blocked by Abbott with the loose ball failing to fall kindly for Morgan. Forest swapped Garner for Ben Perry on 73 as they prepared to take a corner from which the sub headed over at the far post. Town had been very much second best since the break, appearing to have tired. But on 76 Valentine almost put the Blues back in front with a spectacular effort from more than 25 yards which beat Bott but struck the bar before being nodded behind by a defender. Five minutes from the scheduled end, Jack Nadin struck a low shot from the right across the face and wide. Ahead of the goal-kick, Town swapped Davis for Wales U16 international Finlay Corrigan. On 87 Morgan was booked for a frustrated foul. Two minutes into stoppage time Osong broke down the right and found Anisjko unmarked in the area but the sub kicked the ball into the ground when he seemed certain to score. The ball ran out to Whitehall, whose shot towards the corner of the net was well saved by Williamson to his left. After Morgan had tried to catch Bott out from distance, there was a scare for Town when Cousens hit a backpass under pressure which wasn’t far away from beating the Blues keeper. Moments later, the referee’s whistle indicated extra time. Town had been the better side in the first half but Forest had been on top in the second and the 1-1 scoreline was a fair reflection of the 90 minutes. Four minutes into the additional half and hour, Logan, who won his first England U17 cap last week, was replaced by Nick Nkansa-Dwamena appearing to be suffering with cramp. Three minutes later, Ashton Boswell took over from Haddoch, who also looked to have cramp. Neither side had created an opportunity in extra time until the 98th minute when a loose ball fell to Morgan and the Northern Ireland U19 international unleashed a superb strike which flew only just past Bott’s right post. Despite both sides looking tired, Town were regaining the momentum and on 104 Valentine struck a shot from the edge of the box which Bott did well to tip over the bar. The Blues went close again from the corner, Boswell looping the ball over from the right over Bott but just beyond the far post. Six minutes into the second half of extra time, Morgan hit a free-kick from almost 30 yards straight into the arms of Bott with the Blues seeing most of the ball. Moments before the whistle, in the aftermath of a corner, Harry Barbrook shot only just over from an angle on the left. Town had had the better of the chances in extra time with Forest never really threatening. The penalties were taken at the Sir Bobby Robson Stand end with Corrigan giving the Blues the lead with the first kick. Osong, Forest’s most dangerous player, took the visitors first kick but it was too close to the middle and Williamson saved as he dived to his right. Foyo netted Town’s second, sending it into the right corner of the net as Bott dived the other way. Powell made it 2-1 with Forest’s second. Sub Boswell slammed his kick low into the corner to make it 3-1 before Kyle McAdam just beat Williamson with the keeper clearly disappointed not to have saved. Taylor took Town’s fourth but was too casual and Bott saved to his left before Whitehall blazed over to keep the score at 3-2. And it was left to Morgan to net the decisive kick low into the corner of the net to Bott’s right to send the Blues through to round five and a tie against Liverpool at Portman Road.   Town: Williamson, Haddoch (Boswell 96), H Barbrook, Cousens, Logan (Nkansa-Dwamena 94), F Barbrook, Morgan, Foyo, Davis (Corrigan 85), Manly (c) (Taylor 67), Valentine. Unused: Cullum, Ayoola, O’Neill. Forest: Bott, Hammond, Hanks (Anisjko 58), Abbott, Thompson, McAdam, Hemmings (Whitehall 46), Gardner (Perry 73), Osong, Nadin (Brown 114), Powell. Unused: Willows, Robinson, Sinclair. Referee: Reubyn Ricardo. Att: 540.
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