Colchester United U18s were taking on Sutton United U18s in the first round of the FA Youth Cup. Despite a fantastic display, Elliott Ward’s side succumbed to an undeserved defeat after a penalty shoot out that finished 8-7.
The first ten minutes of the game saw little action with both teams choosing to come out with a cautious approach. Sutton, however, did have to change their goalkeeper after six minutes of playing time with Jones replacing Robertson who suffered an injury.
Unfortunately for the U’s, the visitors took the lead just after the fifteenth minute mark when Trickett found the back of the net with a low-shot that nestled into the bottom-left corner of the net.
The U’s responded well to conceding a goal and had a few great chances themselves, most notably with Rashaad Drysdale’s darting run on the left-hand side that was finished with a driven low cross but missed everyone in the box.
Burak Sabah also came close when his curling shot flew inches away from the post after twenty-five minutes of playing.
Sutton, however, withheld the U’s efforts and kept opting for a long ball tactic on a cold night at JCS.
The visitor’s defences were, nonetheless, eventually broken with a wonderful counter-attack that saw Jamie Arnold one-on-one with the goalkeeper. The U’s forward didn’t panic and gently placed the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
The rest of the half saw few chances from either side and both teams went in at half time on level terms.
Just before that, however, Makhaya James limped off the pitch and was replaced by Andrew Palmer-Brown.
It was a lively start to the second half with the visitors piling on pressure on the U’s, forcing Chamberlain to make a couple of decent saves.
But it was the U’s who go their second on fifty minutes when Burak Sabah scored directly from a corner.
Despite dominating, Colchester conceded their second on sixty-one minutes after Liam Moore’s powerful free-kick strike broke through the hands of Chamberlain.
The next twenty minutes saw both teams revert to cautious tactics with the main aim being not conceding. Max Jolliffe came agonisingly close to scoring with ten minutes to go but despite his low effort beating the ‘keeper, it rolled inches past the post.
Both teams failed to find the winner in 90 minutes with the clash eventually going into extra time.
Extra time saw both teams drop back with chances few and scarce and the clash had to be decided by penalties.
It was a fantastic penalty contest with both teams scoring some phenomenal goals. Unfortunately, it all ended up in heartbreak for the U’s, who succumbed to an 8-7 defeat in the shoot-out.
Colchester United Starting XI: Chamberlain, Akor, James, Jolliffe, Newby, Lamb, Drysdale, Oni, Arnold, Sabah, Uwandu
Subs: Palmer-Brown, Peglar, Kosoko, Martin, Murphy, Kokoshi, Gordon Clement
