FA YOUTH CUP | CAMBRIDGE UNITED U18S 2 MILLWALL U18S 0
Cambridge United booked their place in Round Three of the FA Youth Cup with an excellent 2-0 home win over Millwall, to set up a tie with AFC Bournemouth at the Cambs Glass Stadium.
Having defeated Beaconsfield comfortably in the opening round of the competition 4-1, the U’s faced much sterner opposition in Round Two with Millwall stamping their physicality on the game during the opening stages.
Mason Saunders-Henry rattled Finley Iron’s cross bar on 16 minutes from 18 yards out, which sent an early warning to the hosts.
However, United responded well and after the midway point in the half began to move both the ball and the Lions around the pitch. Matt Foy charged forward on the break in the 28th minute before cutting inside his marker and pushing his shot off target for the U’s first real sight at goal.
A fine one-on-one save from Finley Iron, who was quick off his line to close down the angle on Saunders-Henry, ensured the game remained goalless on 37 minutes.
Meanwhile, the final opportunity of the half fell to Josh Emmins at the other end, when the full back drilled a powerful strike at goal from just outside the Millwall area that forced Ryan Sandford to palm away from danger.
Ben Worman fired over with his left foot shortly after the break with one of United’s best openings of the match.
Minutes later the Lions’ Noel Leighton also fluffed his lines when the striker directed a header from a Millwill corner well off target from six yards.
United made the visitors pay before the hour mark, when Tom Knowles tapped in from close range after Matt Foy’s initial effort had been saved by Sandford.
Millwall rallied in search of an equaliser with Lewis White delivering a flurry of dangerous crosses across the face of United’s goal, but they were unable to force anything over the line.
The U’s put their opponents to sword on 74 minutes with a well-taken breakaway goal, which Matt Foy this time taking advantage of a loose ball from Sandford by finishing cleverly to double the advantage.
Cambridge United U18s: Iron, Davies, Emmins, Squire, Darling, Shaw, Lea (Watkinns, 90 mins), Bell-Toxtle, Foy, Worman, Knowles (Neal, 74 mins)
Millwall U18s: Sandford, McNamara, Tiensa, Wicks (Hanson, 63 mins), White, Strachen, Olaofe, Ebuzoeme, Leighton, White, Saunders-Henry (Day, 45 mins)
Attendance: 164