Southampton hung on for their fourth consecutive league win in a row to consolidate their position at the top of the U18 Premier League south table but were made to sweat for three points as Fulham almost cancelled out a three-goal deficit at Motspur Park this morning.
The Saints, comfortable winners of the reverse fixture at Staplewood earlier in the season, breezed into a 3-0 lead inside the first half an hour. The first goal was soft and arrived from a set play around just three minutes. French centre back Leon Pambou headed a corner goalwards, although the last touch might have come off the unfortunate Ibane Bowat. The visitors made it two on twenty minutes when Dom Ballard put the finishing touches to a superb break by thumping a powerful strike past Michael Allen.
Worse was to follow nine minutes later. Sonnie Davis sauntered away down the right flank latching onto a through ball from Kami Doyle to further stun a shell-shocked Fulham side. Ali Melloul’s men had been completely outclassed in the first half but earned a lifeline in the first minute of stoppage time when sixteen year-old striker Oliver Gofford scored his first goal at under-18 level, following up after George Okkas’ effort had been palmed away by Eddie Beach.
Fulham gained more of a foothold in the contest after the break, seeing more of the ball in stark contrast to Southampton’s monopolisation of possession in the first half. The contest appeared to meandering towards a comfortable win for the league leaders but Melloul’s youngsters never gave up. They scored a well-worked second with two minutes remaining when Olly Sanderson headed home a fine cross from Devan Tanton and nearly stole a point in stoppage time as Sanderson played through young forward Aaron Loupalo-Bi, but Matty Carson produced an outstanding saving tackle in the nick of time.
FULHAM UNDER 18s (4-4-2): Allen; Tanton, Parkes, Bowat, Benjamin; Okkas, McCoy-Splatt, Works (Parker 57), Gordon (Loupalo-Bi 49); Gordon; Sanderson, Gofford. Subs (not used): Borto, de Fougerolles, Caton.
BOOKED: Benjamin.
GOAL: Gofford (45+1), Sanderson (88).
SOUTHAMPTON UNDER 18s (3-4-2-1): Beach; Hewlett, Pambou, Carson; Davis, Dibling (Armitage 52), Tshaka, Bragg; Doyle, Morgan (Woods 84); Ballard (Wright 72). Subs (not used): Adli, Ross-Lang.
BOOKED: Beach.
GOALS: Pambou (3), Ballard (20), Davis (29).
REFEREE: Robert Finn.
