Fulham under 23s qualified for the quarter finals of the Premier League Cup as group winners following a 3-1 win over Colchester United at Motspur Park this evening.

Their trialist, who netted in the win at Stoke City last week, opened the scoring after just ten minutes and, although the visitors levelled shortly after the break through a close range finish from Corrie Andrews, their cause was fatally undermined when Harrie Beadle was sent off for a two-footed tackle on the trialist. Steve Wigley’s Whites took full advantage with Ollie Sanderson marking his return from coronavirus with a goal off the bench before Adrion Pajaziti made sure of victory with a sensational solo strike.

The home teamsheet included Ivan Cavaleiro, who played his first 45 minutes of football since limping off during the local derby against QPR in October, as the Portuguese winger aims for a first-team return. Fulham were on the front foot from the off and Sonny Hilton almost repeated his trick of scoring straight from a corner – as he done in Staffordshire – in the very first minute. Colchester custodian Ted Collins punched that set play away and then was fortunate to be bailed out by his back four after spilling Luciano D’Auria-Henry’s cross.

The fast start was rewarded when the trialist powered home after a bout of pinball in the Colchester penalty area and Hilton was only denied an immediate second by a brilliant clearance after chipping the goalkeeper. The visitors weren’t sitting back – as they knew they needed a victory to stand any chance of making the last eight – with Marley Miranda and Andrews flashing efforts fractionally off target. Pajaziti perhaps should have finished off a flowing Fulham break after being fed by Hilton but Collins was equal to the midfielder’s eventual shot and D’Auria-Henry nodded a devilish Hilton delivery narrowly wide.

The hosts’ failure to build on their bright start came back to haunt them shortly after half time. Andrews finished fabulously after being found by an excellent cross but the goalscorer went from hero to zero with his wild challenge from behind on the trialist. Fulham almost made their numerical advantage count straight away but Ziyad Larkeche shot wide at the end of a sweeping move. It took Sanderson, stepping up from the under 18s off the bench, to restore the lead with a precise low finish into the bottom corner midway through the second period.

After another substitute Xavier Benjamin had superbly preserved Fulham’s advantage with a goalline clearance, Pajaziti produced a peach of a third with four minutes to play, skipping away from a defender and darting infield to find the far corner after latching onto Larkeche’s pass. The Whites finished the group campaign unbeaten and will be full of confidence heading into the quarter finals.

FULHAM UNDER 23s (4-2-3-1): Allen; D’Auria-Henry, Larkeche, Odutayo (Ameyaw 73), Bowat; Francois, Pajaziti; Trialist (Benjamin 72), Cavaleiro (Sanderson 45), Hilton; Bowie. Subs (not used): J. Schwarzer, Sanderson.

GOAL: Trialist (10), Sanderson (65), Pajaziti (86).