Matt Dibley-Dias drove home a late winner as Fulham’s under 18s secured a seventh straight win at Norwich City this afternoon.
After the hosts had had cancelled out a first half strike from defender Harvey Araujo – his second in two games – the Kiwi-born midfielder produced an assured finish into the bottom corner after Imani Lanquedoc supplied the perfect pass to seal a dramatic victory.
Alli Meloul made three changes to the side that beat West Brom last weekend. Michael Allen came in for Alex Borto in goal, Devan Tanton returned at right back and Lemar Gordon stepped up from the under 16s to start on the left wing. Fulham were quick out of the blocks and Gordon won an early penalty after being fouled by goalkeeper Reece Truman but Olly Sanderson, usually so reliable from the spot, struck the outside of the post with his kick.
Lewis Shipley then produced a superb sliding tackle to deny Gordon as the young winger appeared set to pull the trigger after accelerating into the area, but the Whites went ahead when Araujo lost his marker at a set play to turn in a corner from Delano McCoy-Splatt. McCoy-Splatt then almost doubled the lead when his inswinging corner beat Trueman but flashed past the far post.
Fulham finished the first period on the front foot with the lively Gordon forcing a smart save out of the Norwich City goalkeeper with a powerful drive. Norwich stepped up the pressure after the break with Allen showing sound footwork to field a long-range effort from Kenneth Aboh before Joe Duffy came agonisingly close to an equaliser when his whipped free-kick from left eluded everybody and flew just wide of goal.
Fulham were still a threat on the counter-attack with Sanderson seeing a shot blocked and the lively Gordon seeming like their most likely source of a second. But it was the Canaries who equalised midway through the second half when Aboh bundled in a cross from close range to set up a grandstand finish.
McCoy-Splatt put Lanquedoc in the clear along the right flank but Trueman spread himself well to save the midfielder’s rather tame shot. Fulham did fashion a winner with six minutes left when Dibley-Dias drove in after excellent approach work by the unselfish Lanquedoc. Norwich still had time to almost force an equaliser but Allen did brilliantly to keep out a firm header from Solomon Alidor-Hamilton.
A hard-fought three points brought the young Whites level on points with Crystal Palace in fourth place in the Premier League South standings after a superb recent run of form.
NORWICH CITY UNDER 18s (4-3-3): Trueman; Watt (Okeowo 60), Jambang, Hills, Shipley (Welch 75); Alidor-Hamilton, Duffy, Eze (Foyo 75); Coker, Matos, Aboh. Subs (not used): Reindorf, Aziaya.
BOOKED: Aboh
GOAL: Aboh (68).
FULHAM UNDER 18s (4-2-3-1): Allen; Tanton (de Fougerolles 75), Benjamin, Araujo; Okkas, McCoy-Splatt; Lanquedoc (Olakigbe 89), Dibley-Dias, Gordon (Works 65); Sanderson. Subs (not used): Conway, Caton.
BOOKED: Okkas.
GOALS: Araujo (23), Dibley-Dias (84).
REFEREE: Bradley Mingay.
