Fulham’s under 18s were beaten 4-2 by Brighton and Hove Albion in an entertaining encounter on the south coast this morning.
The young Whites never recovered from conceding three goals in eleven minutes in the first half. Joe Knight put Albion ahead from the penalty spot just before the half hour after goalkeeper Dino Kaiser had raced from his goal-line and brought down the onrushing forward. Harry Mills doubled the lead four minutes later finding the far corner from thirteen yards out and Nehemiah Oriola hammered home a third from the edge of the area with five minutes of the first half remaining.
Fulham needed a miracle to get anything out of the game having headed in 3-0 down at the interval but winger Farheen Ali Wahid provided a glimmer of hope by prodding home at the far post after fine work along the byline by Callum Osmand. Brighton were reduced to ten men a minute later when Corbin Mthunzi was dismissed after he pulled back Osmand with the forward through on goal.
But the Whites threw away that opportunity as substitute Aidan Ward pounced on a poor piece of control from Kaiser and rolled a simple finish into the unguarded net to make it 4-1. Ali Wahid did give the scoreline some respectability when he scored a second two minutes later after cutting in from the left flank and firing high into the roof of the net.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION UNDER 18s (4-4-2): Ferdinand; Tasker, Mills, Mthunzi, Penman; Albarus, Knight (Gulzar 45), Moulton (Gorman 79), Oriola (Mackley 59); Belmont (West 63), Howell (Bashir 59).
BOOKED: Tasker.
SENT OFF: Mthunzi.
GOALS: Knight (pen 29), Mills (33), Oriola (40), West (72).
FULHAM UNDER 18s (4-2-3-1): Kaiser; de Jesus, Slade, Nsasi, Park (Tabares 45); Nwoko, Quashie (Ridgeon 67); Ali Wahid, Olyott, Bogle-Campbell; Osmand. Subs (not used): Varney, Picotto, Platel.
BOOKED: Quashie, Osmand.
GOALS: Ali Wahid (57, 74).
REFEREE: James Colley.
