Frank Vare hit a hat-trick Blackburn Rovers battered Fulham’s under 18s 7-0 in their opening Premier League Cup fixture this afternoon.
The home side ran riot in the first half, scoring six times without reply. Frank Vare fired in the first goal after a poor clearance from Fulham centre back Logan Cooke and Rovers did not look back. Valentine Joseph stabbed home a second following further hesitant defending and would have made it three had he not blazed over when it looked more straightforward to score from close range.
The third goal wasn’t long in coming as the lively Archie McCoy capitalised on another defensive mistake to finish past a disconsolate Ollie Mayer in the Fulham goal. Mayer then struggled to deal with an inswinging corner and Vare was on hand to make it 4-0. Vare soon completed his hat-trick by lashing a lovely left-footed finish into the far corner of the net and Fulham’s dreadful first 45 minutes was made complete in the first minute of added time when Harry Lister’s shot took a deflection and left Mayer with no chance.
Mayer made a series of splendid saves after the break striving to keep Blackburn’s goal tally in single figures. The Fulham goalkeeper stood up well to thwart Joseph in a one-on-one before palming away a fierce drive from Joseph and recovering swiftly to tip over Charlie Clanford’s effort. He was brilliantly beaten by Joseph, who lobbed in the seventh from 40 yards out, on an embarrassing afternoon for the young Whites.
Ali Melloul’s side will look to get back to winning ways when they welcome Birmingham City to Motspur Park on Saturday, with the fixture kicking off at 12 noon.
BLACKBURN ROVERS UNDER 18:Â Thompson, Pitt, Decandia, Kelley-Quinn, Odogun, Ball (Potter 75),, Vare (Leatherbarrow 60), Clanford, Lister (Eze 87), McCoy, Joseph (Cryer 75). Subs (not used): Krajewski.
GOALS: Vare (5, 31, 35), Joseph (8, 73), McCoy (25), Lister (45+1).
FULHAM UNDER 18s: Mayer; Faux, Cooke, Schutter, Gomins (Cliff 45); Khan (Deagle 66), White; Zepa (Sutton-Bangura 60), Evans, Cavell (Lubega 45), Dair. Subs (not used): Bagot.
