Caolan Lavery and Tom Winter scored the goals as Town’s U18s beat Portsmouth 2-1 at Playford Road despite playing for 81 minutes with only 10 men. Defender Jide Maduako was red-carded in the ninth minute for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
Londoner Maduako’s sending off was the game’s first notable event, the centre-half pulling back Pompey striker Ryan Williams as he was about to take the ball into the area with only Town’s trialist keeper Daniz Mehmet to beat.
Williams still managed to get a shot away but missed the target having been significantly hampered by Maduako. Referee Alan Dale awarded the visitors a freekick a yard outside the area and gave the big defender his marching orders.
Town switched things around with Callum Bennett joining Joe Whight, who was offered a two-year professional deal last week, at the centre of the defence, both players more usually operating as full-backs.
Despite keeper Mehmet, who is currently with West Ham, doing well to save Kane Cook’s volley, the Blues more than held their own and there were few signs of the numerical disparity.
On 19 Northern Ireland U21 international Lavery shot just over, then 10 minutes later Whight hit a 30-yard freekick straight at Pompey keeper Matt Gledhill.
Chances were far and few between at either end but just after the half hour mark George Colson went wide for Portsmouth, then Lewis Stockford flicked a cross from the left into Mehmet’s arms.
The 18-year-old keeper, who has played for Turkey’s U18s who he qualifies for via his father, impressed during his time on the field before being replaced at half-time by Cody Cropper, fresh from a spell away with the US U20 squad. Whight and Wales U17 midfielder Elliot Scotcher also made way with Kyle Hammond and Lewis Acott taking over.
Bennett made a superb challenge to dispossess Williams on the edge of the Town area two minutes into the second period.
But despite being a man down, it was the Blues who were looking the more likely scorers. On 54 Lavery made a strong run through the middle before hitting a shot which flicked off a defender and flew only just wide of Gledhill’s left post.
Scotcher struck an effort tamely to the Pompey keeper on 62 but two minutes later the Blues were in front. Bennett’s corner from the left eventually reached Acott on the far side, the schoolboy midfielder knocking the ball inside to Lavery, who hit a shot on the turn past Gledhill and into the net to give the 10 men a deserved lead.
The Blues might have increased their advantage in the 66th minute after a series of corners. A low ball into the box from the left wasn’t cleared but neither Winter nor Lavery could get in a clean strike and the danger was cleared.
Acott, one of next season’s new intake of first-year scholars, was close to adding to Town’s lead with a header from a corner in the 72nd minute but Gledhill did well to react and save.
A minute later, Lavery had a chance to score his second of the afternoon and his fourth against Pompey this season when he was sent away by Lawrence’s ball over the top. The Canada-born frontman took the ball past the advancing Gledhill but went too wide and, with defenders rushing back, shot over the bar.
Lavery did have the ball in the net on 78 after latching on to Carel Tiofack’s excellent pass but having strayed offside.
A minute later, the visitors were on terms, very much against the run of play. Adam Webster headed a corner from the right back across goal and defender Billy Tsovolos nodded the ball past Cropper.
There was a further scare for Town on 85, Cropper blocking from Pompey scorer Tsovolos during a goalmouth scramble, David October eventually cleared the ball from the six-yard box.
But, showing the same spirit as the senior side on Tuesday night, the youngsters soon went about restoring their lead.
Lavery was again the main threat, breaking into the area and hitting a shot which Gledhill only just managed to tip over the bar as the match moved into injury time.
From the corner, the ball was cleared to Byron Lawrence on the edge of the box and the schoolboy hit a powerful shot which looked destined to make the net ripple until the man on the post Dan Butler nodded it away for another corner.
Town’s chance of winning looked to have gone but with the match in its 92nd minute another corner was cleared out to Lawrence on the right from where he sent a ball back into the danger zone towards Winter, who rose ahead of Gledhill to flick home and give the Town youngsters a deserved victory.
It was a good overall team performance from the young Blues who rarely looked as if they were a man light. Lavery was a threat throughout the second half and Town might have been further in front before Pompey pulled their goal back and thoroughly deserved the winner netted by Winter, another of next season’s first year scholars.
Manager Paul Jewell watched much of the match as did assistant manager Chris Hutchings and first team coach Sean McCarthy.
The U18s have one league game left, at home to Spurs on Saturday 30th April.
U18s: Mehmet (Cropper 46), Bennett, October, Jones, Maduako, Whight (Hammond 46), Winter, Scotcher (Acott 46), Lavery, Tiofack, Lawrence. Unused: Thompson, Berkane.