Tom Olyott hit a hat-trick as Fulham’s under 18s thrashed Aston Villa 7-2 in a dominant display at Motspur Park this morning.
Olyott’s treble was a fitting reward for a sensational individual performance, but there were also braces for the in-form Callum Osmand and clinical centre forward Aaron Loupalo-Bi as Ali Melloul’s side returned to winning ways after defeat by West Brom in some style. The young Whites were in the mood from the first whistle with Osmand firing wastefully over after Ollie Gofford had pounced on a poor ball out from the back.
But Villa went in front in the eighth minute when Rory Wilson calmly converted a penalty after a rash challenge in the area to make in twelve goals in eight appearances in the league already. The visitors were indebted to a superb save from Sam Lewis who palmed a powerful effort from Lemar Gordon on to the frame of goal just two minutes after his side had taken the lead. Olyott, though, seized on a dreadful piece of defending to slot into an unguarded net moments later.
Loupalo-Bi could have put Fulham ahead shortly afterwards but saw his strike bravely blocked by a Villa defender. In what had become an enthralling end-to-end encounter, Luka Lynch connected with a fine cross from the right flank but couldn’t find the target. Left winger Trai-Varn Mulley then lashed over after been gifted possession in the Fulham penalty area – and the visitors were soon to rue their failures in front of goal.
Olyott conjured up a clever finish to a fine move that saw Osmand and Loupalo-Bi combine to give the former Manchester City and Liverpool youngster the ball on the right flank. Olyott drifted on to his left foot and found the roof of the net fabulously. Fulham had control of proceedings after the second half with Chibby Nwoko’s dangerous cross flashing through the six-yard box before Osmand, having been brilliantly played through by Gordon, was thwarted by an excellent save from Lewis.
The Welsh youth international made amends from the ensuing corner as his intelligent run to the near post was untracked and Osmand’s glancing header went in off the far post. Fulham were awarded a penalty of their own on the hour after Loupalo-Bi was felled in the box and, although Lewis guessed the right way to save the spot kick, Olyott was able to tuck away the rebound. The lively Loupalo-Bi made it four five minutes later, capitalising on another defensive blunder and tricking his way past a claret and blue shirted defender before beating Lewis.
Villa did add a superbly-taken second when Tristan Rowe managed to find the net from an acute angle but Fulham were merciless even with the game well and truly wrapped up. Osmand added a sixth, finding the bottom corner with a finish that was too hot for the unfortunate Lewis to handle, and Loupalo-Bi rounded off an excellent afternoon for the Whites when the striker steered home in the closing stages.
