Fulham’s under 18s went out of the FA Youth Cup as goals from Andre Harriman-Annous and Max Dowman secured a 2-1 win for Arsenal at Motspur Park this evening.
The young Whites fought back from 2-0 down – reducing their arrears when Seth Ridgeon’s shot cannoned in off Will Sweet just before half time – but couldn’t force an equaliser and exit the competition at the fifth round stage after a hard-fought London derby.
Fulham began brightly with the rangy Ridgeon causing problems in front of the Arsenal midfield. He rattled the woodwork with a fierce drive on ten minutes before Farhaan Ali Wahid fired wide on the follow-up. Dino Kaiser then made a fine reaction save to deny Harriman-Annous from six yards before Ridgeon roamed once more to test Arsenal goalkeeper Jack Porter with a shot after a strong solo run.
But the Gunners went in front from their next attack as a beautifully flighted ball from Ife Ibrahim put Harriman-Annous in behind the Whites’ defence and he kept his composure to round Kaiser and finish with aplomb. Harriman-Annous could have made it 2-0 shortly afterwards but he wasn’t quite able to turn an inviting cross from Dowman past Kaiser.
Fulham probed with renewed vigour with Macauley Zepa darting dangerously inside before shooting wildly off target. Alfie White took aim from distance a minute later but his shot didn’t unduly trouble Porter. The home side’s task became even more difficult when the visitors doubled their lead with a superb second. Brayden Clarke’s long ball located Dowman, who dribbled past two defenders and fired fantastically into the bottom corner.
Ali Melloul’s men got a lifeline on the stroke of half time when Ridgeon conjured up a route back into the contest. The talented midfielder looked the home side’s likeliest source of goal but his doubly deflected effort eventually trickled in after taking a hefty touch off the unfortunate Sweet. That meant the Whites began the second half on the front foot with Tom Wingate sending a free header wide. Aidan Evans came closer when he was just off target with his own header from Jon Esenga’s well-worked free-kick.
Kaiser kept his side in the tie when he superbly saved a spot-kick from Dowman after Logan Cooke had brought down Harriman-Annous in the box and Fulham almost levelled when a short corner saw Wingate crack an effort against the stanchion. Evans almost forced extra time with a late header from another excellent Esenga deliver but the ball drifted wide of goal.
FULHAM UNDER 18s: Kaiser, Amissah, Essenga, Cooke (Walters 73) Slade, White, Zepa (De-Gale 81) Ridgeon, Evans, Wingate, Ali Wahid. Subs (not used): Varney, Lubega, Picotto, Khan, Schutter.
GOAL: Sweet (o.g. 42).
ARSENAL UNDER 18s: Porter, Clarke, Onyekachukwu, Sweet, Ogunnaike (Salmon, 66), Ibrahim, Julienne, Dowman, O’Neill, Harriman-Annous, Zecevic John (Oyetunde 89). Subs (not used): Ranson, Murisa, Marciniak, Casey, Bailey-Joseph.
GOALS: Harrison-Annous (25), Dowman (38).
