Callum Osmand scored a stoppage-time winner to send Fulham’s under 18s into the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup after Ali Melloul’s side came from behind to stun Cardiff City last night.
The Welsh under-19 international sparked wild celebrations when he finished a brilliant break from a Bluebirds corner. Josh King, who brought Fulham level with another stunning strike, drove through the middle of the park before passing to Tom Olyott and the winger’s weight of pass was perfect for the in-form Osmand to race into the box and slip a low finish past Luke Armstrong.
Ali Melloul picked a number of under-21 regulars for the trip to Wales and Jon Esenga almost gave the Londoners a fourth minute lead when his low, deflected free-kick from the right was cleared off the line by Dan Barton. Osmand then lashed over from a good position after the lively Aaron Loupalo-Bi had pinched possession high up the pitch before Armstrong saved superbly from the in-form centre forward.
The home side were competing well despite being a division below their opponents and after sixteen year-old King was tenaciously tackled, the ball broke for Troy Perrett, whose left-footed effort was tipped over by Dino Kaiser in the Fulham goal. Osmand was denied by another excellent Armstrong save before City took when Trey George turned home Tanatswa Nyakuhwa’s cross at the near post seven minutes before half time.
Fulham were handed a glorious chance to go in level at the interval when King was felled in the area but Armstrong pulled off a great save from Olyott’s penalty. The visitors were on the back foot in the early stages of the second period with a rampaging run through the middle of the park from Nyakuhwa culminating in the captain firing over the bar from some way out.
The Whites responded immediately with Dylan Lawler bravely blocked Olyott’s drive behind from a corner, from which Armstrong did superbly to smother Brad de Jesus’ header on the line. Perrett then tested Kaiser with an effort of his own, but Fulham were ramping up the pressure at the other end. A backpeddling Armstrong somehow managed to turn a cross from Lemar Gordon onto the bar despite being initially wrongfooted but the Bluebirds back line was to cave in a couple of minutes later.
A wonderfully worked move saw King spread the play out to right flank where Olyott and de Jesus worked a one-two before the talented midfielder found the bottom corner with a deft finish. The Bluebirds were far from deflated by the concession of the equaliser, however, with Cody Twose coming close to restoring their lead when he latched onto Japhet Matondo’s cut back but drilled his shot straight at Kaiser.
Osmand was disappointed to be denied by Armstrong when he darted infield with ten minutes to go but he saved his telling contribution for deep in stoppage time – setting up another trip to Wales in the most dramatic fashion. Melloul’s men will take on Swansea City, who recorded an impressive win over Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Tuesday evening, in the fourth round.
CARDIFF CITY UNDER 18s (4-3-3): Armstrong; Spiers, Giles, Edwards, Lawlor; Barton, Twose, Mafico; Nyakuhwa, George, Perrett. Subs: Thomas, Hibbs, Philipps, Talbot, Matondo, Ola, Kpakio.
GOAL: Perrett (38).
FULHAM UNDER 18s (4-2-3-1): Kaiser; de Jesus, Slade, Amissah, Esenga; King, Nwoko; Olyott, Gordon, Osmand; Loupalo-Bi. Subs: Varney, Tabares, Nsasi, Quashie, White, Ali-Wahid.
GOALS: King (66), Osmand (90+1).
ATTENDANCE: 282.
