Town's U18s comfortably defeated Aston Villa 3-1 in the FA Youth Cup to set up a quarter-final tie against Colchester United at Layer Road. The Blues went three ahead through Liam Craig, Cathal Lordan and Billy Clarke, before Michael Tuohy pulled one back for the visitors.
The Town youngsters dominated from the start and Billy Clarke signalled their intent with a couple of blocked shots inside the first three minutes. Strike partner Darryl Knights did well to bring the ball down shortly afterwards but his shot flew well wide.
Right midfielder Cathal Lordan hit a weak shot to keeper Robert Olejnik in the 19th minute before skipper Liam Craig was given a golden opportunity to put the Blues in front. Lordan found the Scotsman, playing left midfield, in space in front of goal but the ball cannoned off Craig's standing leg when he looked certain to score.
The Blues were putting Villa, last year's losing finalists, under constant pressure and were unlucky in the 23rd minute when Owen Garvan's 25-yarder went inches past the post with the keeper beaten.
Despite the game being played virtually exclusively in the Villa half of the field, the visitors might have gone ahead on 27. A quick break ended with Shane Paul sending a dangerous low ball across the six-yard box but out for a goalkick.
Lordan tried his luck from 30 yards just after the half hour mark but the ball went wide of Olejnik's post. Knights tried an overhead effort from outside the area a minute later, but gave the keeper little trouble.
Town finally got the goal that their possession and chances deserved through Liam Craig. Billy Clarke wide on the right found Craig on the left of the penalty area, the captain taking one touch before hitting a shot which deflected off a defender and into the net. Craig was continuing a good run of form in the Youth Cup, having netted both goals at Stoke in the previous round.
Keeper Shane Supple was finally called into serious action in the 38th minute, brilliantly tipping Gabriel Agbonlahor's shot over the bar.
Town were well worth their lead at the break, the midfield having totally dominated their Villa counterparts and pacy frontmen Knights and Clarke causing no end of problems.
Two minutes after the break the Blues were two in front. Knights crossed from the right, Villa defender Scott Bridges completely missed the ball and Lordan lashed the ball past the keeper at his near post.
The unfortunate Bridges was at the centre of the third goal eight minutes later. The hapless defender played the ball across the edge of his own penalty area towards Stephen O'Halloran but only succeeded in finding Billy Clarke. The Irishman took the ball wide of the centre-half before hitting a low left-foot shot across the keeper and into the net.
Villa pulled a goal back in the 77th minute via their second shot of the game. Supple did well to stop Paul Green's strike but sub Michael Tuohy was quickest to react and netted the rebound. Agbolahor and Krause became embroiled in a minor bout of handbags as the Villa man sought to retrieve the ball from the goal.
The visitors should have been down to 10-men three minutes later when Agbolahor went in very late on Shane Supple. Inexplicably, neither Darren referee Deadman nor his linesman saw the challenge as a foul and didn't even award a freekick. Supple required lengthy treatment and looked like he would have to go off but struggled through until the end.
With five minutes remaining, Christian Kabeya tested Supple with a 20-yard shot but the keeper was well-placed.
Villa were again lucky to keep their full complement on the field when keeper Olejnik rushed from his goal to upend Clarke just outside the area. It appeared to be an obvious goalscoring opportunity but referee Deadman made another weak decision and showed only a yellow card.
Regular reserves watchers may remember Deadman's execrable performance in the second string's game against Portsmouth last season when he booked seven and sent off Lewis Price for a similar, although less clear cut, offence.
Supple, visibly uncomfortable from the earlier tackle, made another fine save from Shane Paul as the game entered injury time and then grabbed a loose ball inside the area.
An excellent team performance from the U18s who passed the ball slickly throughout and took their chances. Knights and Clarke, playing a long way apart up front, were a constant danger, while the Villa defence contributed to their own downfall with some woeful errors.
The midfield was in control for the vast majority of the game, while the defence and keeper Shane Supple rarely put a foot wrong.
Town's victory sets up a local derby quarter-final against Colchester United at Layer Road which must be played before March 19th.
The FA have already made the draw for the semi-finals, with Town or Colchester pencilled in to meet Watford or Tottenham over two legs, the first game at home on April 9th and the second away on April 23rd.
The two-legged final, covered live by Sky, will be played on Monday, May 23th and Friday, May 27th. The Blues, if they make it that far, will want to play the home leg first, as the stage from the Neil Diamond gig the previous night is likely to still be in place on the day of the second game.
U18s: Supple, Moore, Ainsley, Beveridge (Trotter 70), Collins, Krause, Lordan (Haynes 72), Knights, Clarke, Garvan, Craig. Unused: Blackmore, Sheringham, Hammond. Att: 1,360.