U18s Host Hammers in Youth Cup Wednesday, 22nd Feb 2023 12:26 Town’s U18s are in FA Youth Cup quarter-final action at against West Ham United at Portman Road this evening (KO 7pm). The Blues have sold more than 2,500 tickets for the visit by the Hammers with supporters will be based in the Cobbold Stand with home fans in Blocks B and C. Tickets are available online or on the turnstiles, costing £3 for adults, £1 for seniors aged 65-plus, under-23s and under-19s. Season ticket holders are not admitted for free for Youth Cup matches. For those that can’t make it, the tie is available to watch live on The FA Player. The side coached by Sam Darlow swept aside Liverpool 2-0 in their fifth round tie at home earlier this month in front of a crowd of 2,649. The young Blues are likely to have a tougher test against West Ham, who are top of U18 Premier League South having won 13 and lost two of their 15 fixtures so far, including a 6-0 thrashing of Norwich on Saturday. In the Youth Cup this season, the East Londoners have beaten Sheffield United 3-1, Burnley 1-0 and Stoke City 4-1, all on the road. Prior to the victory over Liverpool, the Blues defeated Nottingham Forest 4-2 on penalties at Portman Road following a 1-1 draw, in round three they came from 2-0 down to beat Huddersfield 3-2 at the John Smiths Stadium after previously overcoming Bromley 2-1 away and Aveley 9-0 at Portman Road. “I think Ipswich will be similar to the Sheffield United and the Burnley games,” West Ham’s U18s coach Kevin Keen, who scored for the Hammers in a 2-1 Youth Cup second-round tie against the Blues in December 1984, told his club’s official website. “Both of those were really tough matches and this won’t be any different. Each was different a scenario, but they were hard battles — particularly the Burnley one. “The Stoke City game was different to the first two, but we’re expecting another really tough match against Ipswich. “You’ve got to win the game that’s in front of you and, in this round, that’s Ipswich Town at Portman Road. “We know it will be done and dusted on the evening, one way or another, and Ipswich will back themselves to do well at home having beaten two good sides there already. They’ve got a good team that play attacking football. “We’ve watched some of their matches and they’ve beaten two Category One academies to get to the last eight in Nottingham Forest and Liverpool. “They’ve got a lot of experience playing at Portman Road, which is going to be a big plus for them, and they will have home supporters there too. It’ll be a tough, but fantastic challenge, for our lads.” West Ham have won the trophy three times, in 1963, 1981 and 1999, while a Town side featuring Russell Osman, John Wark, Dale Roberts, David Geddis and Keith Bertschin, beat a Hammers team, which included Alvin Martin, Alan Curbishley, Paul Brush, Geoff Pike and Terry Hurlock, 5-1 over two legs in the final in 1975. The Blues also carried off the Youth Cup in 1973 and 2005.
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