Town’s U18s were seconds away from a place in round five of the FA Youth Cup but following last-gasp equaliser exited the competition 4-2 after extra-time to Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Blues found themselves behind after only four minutes but goals from Charlie Compton and Sid Eldred before half-time gave the Blues a lead they held until the sixth minute of injury time with the Toffees winning the tie with two goals in the second half of extra-time, the second a bizarre own goal.
The home side went in front four minutes in when the ball was cut back from the byline inside the area on the right and Shea Pita shot across Town keeper Josh Bentley and into the corner of the net.
But three minutes later, the Blues were back on terms. Compton crossed deep from the right and found Jayden Adetiba, who was withdrawn from a UAE U17s training camp to play in the match, wide on the left.
Adetiba chipped a cross to the far post and Compton got ahead of Harlow McEveley to slide into the net, colliding painfully with the post as he did so. Indeed, after treatment, the midfielder was forced off and was replaced by 6ft 6in tall forward Nelson Eze.
On 16, Braiden Graham was played in on the left of the Town area but Bentley, who won his first UAE U17 international cap last month, was off his line quickly to block.
Following the corner, Bentley, the younger brother of former Southend, Brentford and Bristol City keeper Daniel, was forced to make another stop, closing down an Everton player after a poor back-pass.
In the 22nd minute, Sains smashed a 30-yard free-kick not too far wide of Everton keeper Douglass Lukjanciks’s left post.
Four minutes later, after a free-kick wide on the left had been headed out, Melvin Matos shot from distance but without troubling Bentley, who had already undergone treatment twice. Soon after, Rocco Lambert was booked for a late tackle on the pacy Adetiba.
Former Arsenal schoolboy Adetiba was causing Everton plenty of problems and on the half hour, the winger looped over a cross from the left at the second attempt and found the unmarked Will Unadike, but the one-time Lowestoft loanee’s header was too high.
Town were looking the more dangerous side and in the 34th minute, they went in front. Sains played a long ball towards the right of the area and Northern Ireland U17 international Eldred battled past Louis Poland and McEveley Liam Delap-style before slamming into the roof of the net.
The Blues went looking for a third and two minutes later, Adetiba sent a dangerous low ball across the area but with no one able to add a touch. Ahead of the restart, Matos was booked for a foul in the build-up.
Despite Town having been on top, the home side were close to an equaliser in the 39th minute, left-back Poland crossing having been played in on the overlap and number nine Ceiran Loney smashing wide at the near post.
Soon after, Unidike did well on the right and sent over a low ball towards Eldred at the near post with his back to goal but the striker was crowded out and the referee wasn’t interested in Town penalty shouts.
That was the last penalty area action of an excellent half from Matt Pooley’s side. The Blues reacted well to going behind so early on, levelling soon after via Compton’s brave finish.
And with Ryan Doherty, who recently joined the club from Stevenage where he had broken into the senior side, pulling the strings in midfield and Adetiba always a threat down the left, the Blues were the better side for the rest of the half, creating further opportunities.
Everton may feel they could have made more of their big chance through Loney, but Town’s lead was a fair reflection of the half overall.
Seven minutes after the restart, Unidike and Poland were booked for a clash after a throw was awarded to the Blues to the frustration of the Everton left-back, who slammed the ball against the Town wideman’s head after he had been pushed. As they were cautioned, the pair shook hands.
Chances were rare in the early stages of the second half but just before the hour, after good work on the right, Adetiba looped a shot through to home keeper Lukjanciks.
Moments later, skipper Charlie Wood, who rejoined the academy late last season from Needham Market, headed a corner into the ground and into Lukjanciks’s arms from a corner on the right.
The Toffees were close to levelling in the 64th minute when Pita was sent away on the right of the box and hit a shot which Bentley saved with his feet. The ball cannoned out to Everton sub Kean Wren, who shot towards the keeper-less goal but Sains cleared off the line.
Town subsequently swapped centre-half Harvey Duggins for Stevy Brouwers, who went to left-back with Oliver Wilkinson, who the Blues signed from Barnsley earlier in the season, moving to the middle.
On 71, Sains struck an effort from distance through to Lukjanciks, Brouwers having seen an earlier effort blocked after good work from Adetiba on the left.
The Blues went close again a minute later, Unadike crossing from the right and Eze nodding back but Wood shot wide. As the game moved into its final quarter of a hour, Shakil Nicolaou replaced Unadike on the right.
Three minutes later, Town lost the ball midway inside their own half and Everton sub Ray Robert blazed deep into the stand behind the goal.
In the 86th minute, after Wilkinson had been booked for pulling back Graham following an under-hit Bentley long kick, Indiana Pedder replaced Eldred, who had been suffering with cramp having caused the Toffees centre-halves problems throughout.
Town looked to have seen out the half and six additional minutes but seconds from the end, the Toffees levelled.
The tiring Blues had the ball deep in the Everton half but the home side broke and Graham shot from the edge of the area across Bentley and into the corner of the net.
That was the last action of normal time, Town having been seconds away from a place in round six.
Five minutes into extra-time, Demi Akarakiri should have put his side in front but the midfielder shot well over when in space on the right of the box.
The home side were dominating and on 102, Akarakiri crossed from the right but Wren headed the ball back where it had come from rather than towards goal when he will feel he should have put his side in front.
Moments later, Akarakiri shot low and hard past Bentley’s right post from just outside the area.
On 106, Wood shot straight at Lukjanciks after good work from Pedder and Nicolaou, a positive way for the Blues to end a first half of extra-time which Everton had largely controlled.
Seconds into the second half of extra-time, Everton went back in front. Graham broke to the byline on the left inside the area and cut across to Robert, who turned into the net from close range.
Town swapped Eze for Jackson Nsofor as they looked for a way back into the game but with a comeback looking unlikely.
Robert shot straight at Bentley, then Wren cut in from the left and hit an effort across the face and wide.
In the 116th minute, Everton’s Charlie Stewart was booked for a foul on Adetiba out on the Town left but the Blues were unable to make anything of the free-kick.
Seconds later, the home side were gifted a bizarre own goal to make the scoreline 4-2. Bentley came out of his area to clear a long ball down the middle but headed it against Brouwers and it rebounded beyond the keeper and into his net.
Just before the whistle, Sains forced a late stop from Lukjanciks as the young Town side tried in vain to get themselves a foothold back in the game.
The defeat, particularly by two goals, was harsh on a Blues side which all but had the game won within the 90 minutes, the Town youngsters showing some naivety in allowing Everton what would have been a last attack in the dying seconds.
There was really only one side in it in extra-time with the Toffees having the momentum and the Blues tiring.
Town: Bentley, Sains, Wilkinson, Longwe, Duggins (Brouwers 65), Doherty, Unadike (Nicolaou 75), Wood (c), Eldred (Pedder 86), Compton (Eze 10 (Nsofor 107)), Adetiba. Unused: W Fletcher, Olawole.