FA Youth Cup 2nd Qualifying Round - Debenham 0 Cambridge United 4

A thoroughly professional if not spectacular performance against a really spirited and hard working team. With an unchanged line up from the previous round we started brightly and Adam Marriott was thwarted by the home keeper. A succession of corners somehow eluded all of our players in the box and Jack Eades failed to hit the target with our best chance at the far post.

The first goal was always going to be crucial and with the home team five minutes away from half time parity, it was a relief when it finally arrived. Our skipper, Blaine Hudson, volleyed home Sam Parkinson's inswinging corner from eight yards to settle our nerves.

We upped the tempo at which we moved the ball in the second half and despite the difficult surface, we played some good stuff.

Luke Berry applied the finishing touch to another rehearsed Sam Parkinson set piece, before Adam Marriott effectively killed off our hosts with 20 minutes remaining with a powerful strike from 12 yards after good approach play from Eades and Berry. If anything, we lacked a little bit of quality and intelligence in the closing spell to turn our total territorial dominance into more goals. Credit must go to the home team for their commitment but we were not as tidy in possession as we should have been against a tiring team.

We did score right at the death, with Luke Berry (above) doubling his tally with a fine volley from Jordan Patrick's cross, to cement our place against Bury Town in the 3rd Qualifying Round on Wednesday 22nd October, 7.45pm kick off.

This set of players, plus Sam Beagle, Rory McAuley and Lewis Carr are back in Ridgeons League action this Saturday at Felixstowe & Walton before returning to the Trade Recruitment Stadium against Wroxham the following weekend.

Finally, I must report the departure of Bradley Hunter by mutual consent for personal reasons. We will try to help Bradley find a club nearer to his home in Southend and look forward to John Yambasu and Jack Bailey stepping up to the plate in vying to partner Adam Marriott.

Jack is a first year scholar with great potential and has the ability to emulate the likes of Jack Eades, Blaine Hudson and Luke Berry is cementing his place in the team at just 16 years old. Luke Berry was again our best player and is becoming the heartbeat of the team. His energy and will to win is infectious, even in head tennis tournaments after training!

A special mention should also go to Jackson Ramm, aged just 15, who is playing ahead of several scholars and attracting the attention of several Premiership clubs having impressed Manchester United sufficiently to represent their Under 16's in two tournaments for summer.

Team:
Mace, Ramm, Parkinson, Hudson, Coakley, Ives, Eades, Berry, Yambasu, Marriott, Patrick

Jez George

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