United’s under 18 side exited the Middlesex Senior Youth Cup on a foggy night at Bedfont as the visitors from Brimsdown pulled level in stoppage time before going on to earn a 4-2 win in extra time.
Firstly apologies to Brimsdown if I guess players names wrongly but whomever thought putting red numbers on black shirts was a good idea obviously had no thoughts for matchday reporters!!
United started well with early chances seeing Josh Odunwo fire wide from a Tamille Roach centre before Ahmed Mohammed was put through by Roach, drawing a good diving save from Brimsdown keeper Mohammed Ali Yazgan.
United were then hit with the loss of top scorer Odunwo to a tight hamstring and at this point the visitors carved out a couple of good chances that Tyler Wootton in the United goal was equal to.
Wootton then did well to get down to a drive from Ishmael Frodzomor before being beaten in the 25th minute by Wisley Baltazar only for a superb clearing header to be made off the line by skipper Tom Marr.
Seven minutes later the visitors did take the lead when an angled drive from the foggy left side flew into the United net despite Wootton’s efforts to keep it out.
Four minutes from the break United pulled level, Mohammed gained possession and fed substitute Nathaniel Mensah, he in turn sent Prince Mbengiu through and he coolly slid the ball past Yazgan into the bottom corner.
Wootton did well at the start of the second half when getting down quickly to deny Baltazar who had burst through on goal.
Until past the hour mark the game turned into a battle of the midfields with little change being given by either side at the back and then with fourteen minutes remaining United took the lead. Oneal Rowe played the ball through to another United substitute, Keith Orenuga who took a touch before curling a shot into the bottom corner from 18 yards.
Far from being downed by conceding late in the game, Brimsdown threw the proverbial kitchen sink at United, moving forwards at pace only for both Frodzomor and Akram Mohammed to be denied in quick succession by Wootton in the United goal.
Then in the second minute of stoppage time United were knocked for six, a weakly hit goal-kick from Wootton was immediately played back towards the United danger zone, Frodzomor collected the ball and moved along the edge of the United area before firing past Wootton into the corner.
So to extra time we went, just as the fog started to descend again. Substitute Elias Armah-Tackie sent an effort from distance just over the top and then at the other end Jalon Rowe played in Mensah but his volley was saved by Yazgan.
Six minutes into the extra half-hour, Brimsdown were awarded a contentious penalty with United’s defenders were certain the offence was outside the box. Baltazar stepped up only for his kick to be saved by Wootton and then as the ball went back to the visitors’ striker, Wootton again spread himself to superbly deny Baltazar again before the ball was cleared away.
A minute before the change of ends, having seen off a free-kick awarded for Wootton’s accidental handball in the arc as he kicked clear, the resultant corner was flicked to Baltazar on the far side of the box and rifled a shot across Wootton into the far corner.
With United throwing bodies forwards in the final period with little to trouble Yazgan, it was the visitors who found a fourth when another Wootton clearance was played straight back through the short-handed defence and Frodzomor tucked the ball past Wootton to see his side through to the next round.
Report by Kevin Watts.
United Man of the Match: Tom Marr.