U18s Strike Late to Claim First Win of the Season Against Birmingham
Saturday, 16th Sep 2017 14:38 by James Ager

Town's U18s produced a fine second-half comeback to register their first win of the league season with a 4-3 win against Birmingham City at Playford Road on Saturday morning. After finding themselves two goals down at the break, goals from Corrie Ndaba, Albert Wilton and a brace from Thomas Hughes (pictured) secured the victory for the young Blues.

The visitors took a 29th minute lead when a freekick from Caolan Boyd-Munce on the right evaded everyone in the box nestled just inside the far post.

Town keeper Nick Hayes did well to parry Boyd-Munce's fierce shot moments later, before he back-tracked to tip Jordan Clarke's speculative lob over the bar. However, Boyd-Munce netted his second direct from the resultant corner-kick.

Alan Lee's side hit back three minutes after the restart when Brett McGavin's right-sided corner was met by Ndaba, who powered a header into the net from close range.

As the hour mark approached, Steven Cahill somehow directed Lounes Foudil's cross over the bar from six yards out and the Blues were made to pay for that miss a couple of minutes later when Jack Concannon fired a fine 30-yard effort into the top corner.

On 72 the Blues pulled a goal back from sub Hughes's shot from the edge of the box was tipped onto his post by keeper Adam Siviter, but the ball rebounded off the woodwork and into the penalty area where Wilton reacted first and slid in to score.

Five minutes later Cahill dispossessed a Birmingham defender and released Hughes, and he placed his effort across Siviter and into the far corner of the net.

It looked as though the game was heading for a draw but then in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Town grabbed the winner.

Hughes chipped a hopeful ball into the area from the corner of the box and the ball somehow ended up in the far corner, which led to joyous celebrations from the Town's youngsters.

Dobra took the game to the visitors after the break and Hughes was involved in all three second-half goals for Town in what was an impressive cameo performance from the bench.

U18s: Hayes, Ronan, Clements, Cahill, Marshall, Ndaba, Murrell (Dobra 46), McGavin (Ogunmekan 70), Wilton, Lankester (Hughes 70), Foudil. Unused: Vega, Egan.

Photo: TWTD

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