Town’s U18s crashed out of the FA Youth Cup at the third round stage as Peterborough United ran out 3-2 winners at a freezing cold Portman Road. The young Blues were two behind before Cormac Burke (pictured) pulled a goal back but conceded again before schoolboy Jack Marriott added a second five minutes from the end.
There was an early scare the Blues in the third minute when central defender Jide Maduako played a loose pass across the edge of his own area, playing in Posh midfielderJoe Newell. Fortunately for Town US U20 international keeper Cody Cropper blocked. That type of carelessness was to typify the Blues’ first half display.
Town suffered a huge blow in the eighth minute when lone striker Caolan Lavery was stretchered off with what appeared to be a knee ligament injury. Lavery, who made his Northern Ireland U21 international debut last week, has been the U18 side’s most regular scorer this season. Later the Canada-born frontman was seen walking to the dug-out with the aid of crutches.
The Blues, with Cormac Burke now the lone striker, were still to get going when the visitors went in front in the 21st minute. After Posh number nine Jacob Joyce had chased a through ball, probably from an offside position, it was stabbed wide to Daniel Evans, who played it inside and Town defender Jide Maduako inadvertently diverted it past the wrong-footed Cody Cropper.
Maduako picked up the game’s first yellow card for blatantly kicking the ball away four minutes later, prior to Northern Irish U19 international Cormac Burke hitting Town’s first shot but it flew well wide of goal.
Peterborough probably should have had a penalty in the 35th minute when Northern Ireland U21 international midfielder Josh Carson tripped Newell on the right of the area. Neither referee nor linesman were interested.
Carson shot over four minutes before the end of what had been a thoroughly disappointing first half from the Blues, Sammy Morgan’s team having been distinctly second best to a hard-working Posh side, watched by director of football Barry Fry, who was spotted enjoying a pie during the early stages of the game.
Peterborough went further ahead in the 57th minute, again from a Town error. Newell’s low 25-yard freekick should have been little trouble for Cropper but the American keeper allowed the shot to slip under him and into the net.
Matthew Breeze curled a shot wide two minutes later but almost immediately the Blues pulled a goal back. Carson broke quickly before playing in Burke, who flicked the ball over Posh keeper Alex Archer and into the net.
The goal came from Town’s first serious attack and it appeared to instil a bit of belief. In the 66th minute they might have got back on terms when left-back Joe Whight crossed and a defender scuffed his clearance, but right midfielder Aaron Jones rushed his shot and sent it well wide when he had time to take a touch.
The match was all but over in the 68th minute when Posh added their third. Newell played in Joyce as he broke untracked from midfield before slipping the ball past Cropper.
Schoolboy Jack Marriott replaced Maduako for the final 19 minutes, joining Burke in the Town attack.
First half sub Tom Winter hooked a loose ball wide on 77, then with five minutes remaining the Blues pulled another goal back. Burke’s freekick struck a post, Winter couldn’t direct his header goalwards but Marriott was on hand to nod home.
As the game moved towards the final minute Josh Meekings was booked for dissent then moments later was forced to leave the field with an injury, reducing Town to 10 men.
Peterborough’s Kgosietsile Ntlhe’s injury time header from a corner was cleared off the line by Callum Bennett, the Blues having been caught on the break on a number of occasions as they went chasing a late equaliser.
Sadly for Town that goal wasn’t to come, Carson striking the wall with a freekick seconds before the final whistle.
The young Blues will be disappointed to have gone out of the Youth Cup after such a lacklustre display. Losing Caolan Lavery to such an early injury was a blow — particularly with star academy scholar Connor Wickham left out of the team — but even so the side was capable of much better.
There were too many mistakes throughout and the midfield only gained control of the game in the second half when one or two convertible chances were wasted.
The game was watched by Wickham and a number of his fellow first team squad members including Ronan Murray, Tom Eastman, Ian McLoughlin, Conor Hourihane, Shane O’Connor, Luke Hyam and Billy Clark.
Boss Roy Keane watched the match from the directors’ box alongside first team coach Tony Loughlan, while a number of other clubs, including Colchester, were represented, as were the Football Association of Ireland.
Town U18s: Cropper, Bennett, Whight (McKeown 77), Jones, Meekings, Maduako (Marriott 71), Burke, Scotcher, Lavery (Winter 10), Carson, Tiofack. Unused: O’Donnell, Acott.
Peterborough U18s: Archer, Cook, Ralph, Capocci (Bishop 80), Cotton, Ntlhe, Breeze (Seymour-Shove 90), Wickham, Joyce, Evans (Grant 71), Newell. Unused: Roberts, Carpenter. Referee: A Crysell. Att: 287.