A brace from Tom Olyott ensured Fulham’s under-18s made a winning start to the new season as the young Whites secured a comfortable victory over Reading at Motspur Park this afternoon.
The wide man scored either side of half time to give Ali Melloul’s men a pleasing victory in what was a bruising and feisty encounter at Fulham’s training ground. The hosts made the sharper straight with Lemar Gordon denied an opening goal in the fifth minute by a brilliant saving challenge from Shay Spencer after the Ealing-born winger had been released by a good ball from Callum Osmand. The Welsh midfielder than forced an error from the visitors’ defence high up the pitch but he couldn’t quite play in captain Ollie Gofford.
Dino Kaiser, making his competitive debut for the under-18s, did well to claim a cross from Kiyan Coke-Miles-Smith after the winger had got free down the left flank and got Fulham moving into the Reading half with some swift distribution. Olyott put the hosts ahead from their very next attack, dispatching Gordon’s cross with aplomb after a well-worked move that saw Brad de Jesus find him in space with a raking ball out wide.
Melloul’s side had chances to increase their lead before the interval with Gordon and Osmand – twice – seeing goalbound efforts blocked and the half-time whistle did nothing to quell Fulham’s momentum. Josh King probably should have doubled the advantage early in the second half when he latched onto a lovely lay-off from Osmand but his shot lacked conviction and was easily saved by Harrison Rhone in the Reading goal.
The Royals were stung into life by that let off and put the Fulham goal under considerable pressure. William Ramirez saw a fierce drive blocked before Kaiser improvised to make an excellent save his legs after seeing a shot from Jerae Jones very late, with the Reading winger having waltzed away from several tackles to get an effort in on goal. Olyott was unlucky not to grab his second of the afternoon when a long-ranger rattled the far post before Gordon’s piledriver from distance was terrifically tipped over by Rhone.
Substitute Jayden Quashie spurned a great chance to make the game save when released one-on-one but Rhone spread himself well to save after rushing off his goal line. But another substitute Farhaan Ali-Wahid made an immediate impact, threading a searching ball through the remnants of the Reading defence, which allowed Olyott to coolly make sure of all three points in the first minute stoppage time.
FULHAM UNDER 18s (4-2-3-1): Kaiser; de Jesus, Slade (Essenga 21), Tabares, Park; Nwoko, Gofford; Olyott, Gordon, King (Quashie 69); Osmand (Ali Wahid 90). Subs (not used): Varney, Nsasi.
GOALS: Olyott (29, 90+1).
READING UNDER 18s (3-4-2-1): Rhone; Spencer, Beacroft, Goulding; Osho (Hay 45), Field, Sackey (Fiddes 78), Ramirez (Rohart-Brown 61); Jones, Smith, Barrough. Subs (not used): Sharlott, Dunk.
BOOKED: Hay.
REFEREE: Kai Morgan.
