Oxford United's Under 18s went out of the FA Youth Cup at the Third Round stage this evening as GIllingham broke their hearts with an extra time winner at Priestfield.
15-year old Leo Snowden cancelled out an early strike from Logan Dobbs but a Kai Garrett penalty in extra time was enough to send the home side through to face Sunderland after another fine advertisement for the competition.
The young U’s fought for everything but couldn’t have made a worse start when they fell behind after just seven minutes. A free kick from the left bounced off two bodies before home centre-half Dobbs reacted first to stab the ball past the helpless Monty Marriott.
United responded well with Aidan Elliott-Wheeler off target with a header from a fine cross from left-back Richard McIntrye whose surging runs were a feature of United’s attacking play all night.
The outstanding Tobias Brenan and captain Zaide Took-Oxley started to assert themselves in midfield and that allowed United to play some nice football at times without really threatening in the first half. They got better the longer the game went on.
Marriott made two good saves to keep it at just 1-0 at the break and was forced into two more parries soon after half time. A second would have given United a mountain to climb but instead they again began to get on the ball and play their way back into things and that allowed Snowden to level after 53 minutes.
United’s youngest-ever first-team player may not have known much about this goal but was in the right place when winger Kasway Burton fired a cross into the box and the keeper pushed it out but on to the lurking Snowden who managed to knock the ball back into the empty net.
Now United started to dominate, the home side's cause not helped by splendidly-named captain Stan Skipper limping off soon after the goal. Burton started to get joy when running at his man and Cammy Cooper linked things neatly on the other flank as the game became stretched - tired legs on a big occasion and on a bigger stage than most of the players are used to.
Extra time saw good chances for Took-Oxley and Burton before sub Louis Griffiths fired a third chance well over from inside the box. But eventually those tired legs caught up with United when otherwise excellent centre-half Ibby Bangurah upended forward Bayliss to concede the penalty. Up stepped Garrett and the Yellows were 2-1 down and heading out.
They tried, they really did, but so did Gillingham and we wish them the best of luck in the next round. This competition is all about seeing the stars of the future. Tonight, despite the result, they shone brightly.
UNITED
Marriott, Maxwell (Mole 62), Smith, Bangurah (Holton 114), McIntyre, Took-Oxley, Brenan, Burton, Snowden, Elliott-Wheeler, Cooper (Griffiths 78)
Subs
Patel, Travin, Doyle
Att: 246 inc 30 away
Report by Chris Williams