U18S PROGRESS IN THE FA YOUTH CUP

Needham Market advanced to the second qualifying round of the FA Youth Cup with a brilliant performance in a 5-1 victory at home to Lowestoft Town.

Harlyn Palmer and Evan Gledhill linked up smartly first half, with the duo cleverly creating the first two goals, both scored by the latter, with Olly Reynolds adding a third from a intelligent Flynn Bobby corner.

Oscar Wakeling added a well taken strike to extend the lead second half, with Charlie Smy on hand to stab home the fifth after pinball in the box. 

Needham went close in the fourth minute, James Coton threaded Harlyn Palmer driving down the right wing whose dangerous low cross saw Flynn Bobby's shot blocked off the line at point blank range with a follow up effort rebounding back in off the front base of the near post.

Charlie Skinner then read play well to dive across and hold a dangerous low cross ahead of his near post, while a exquisite fifth minute Palmer right wing cross into the danger area just evaded a red shirt.

Lowestoft on the other hand fired over from just shy of 30-yards out in the 8th minute, as Coton turned Flynn Bobby's dangerous 27-yard right-hand free-kick wide of the near post two minutes later.

Palmer saw a good curling shot from the right-hand edge of the box headed wide for a corner on 11 minutes, as the young Marketmen remained on the front foot two minutes later, the winger's low great wrapped cross into the danger area saw Kellen Fiddy's close range shot smothered by the keeper.

Tyler Wright picked out Evan Gledhill with a delightful left wing cross, the striker's 7-yard header was looping into the top right-hand corner but for a full stretched diving catch by the keeper in the fifteenth minute. 

Palmer was involved again three minutes later, the winger drove into space onto the right-hand side before whipping a great ball across the six yard box, just evading the arriving Gledhill.

Skinner however claimed a left wing cross to his far post on 20 minutes, before Palmer was denied by the woodwork two minutes later.

After jinking onto the right-hand side his fierce strike from a tight angle agonisingly rebounded back into play off the face of the crossbar.

The young Marketmen deservedly broke the deadlock on 28 minutes, Palmer drove down the right-hand side smartly before wrapping a great ball round the defence for Evan Gledhill from point blank range to turn home into the bottom near corner. 

Needham continued on the front foot on the half-hour mark, James Coton fired a low 35-yard strike straight at the goalkeeper, while Charlie Smy skewed a 25-yard effort wide of the top far corner. 

Lowestoft though equalised against the run of play, a massively deflected 25-yard free-kick on the right-hand edge of the box looped into the far corner, with Skinner just unable to keep it out on 36 minutes.

A superb team goal restored the hosts' lead on 42 minutes, Palmer superbly beat two defenders after latching onto Cotton's good defence splitting pass to whip a great pinpoint cross into the six yard box for Evan Gledhill to head home.

Palmer saw a shot over the stranded keeper crucially headed wide for a corner a minute later, which resulting in another well worked goal.

Flynn Bobby's (45') exquisite corner was met by captain Olly Reynolds stealing in at the near post to head home from a yard out.

Needham quickly went close two minutes after the restart, Gledhill latched onto the loose ball on the left-hand side of the box to tee up Charlie Smy on the edge of the area to lash a powerful low shot at goal which was well blocked.

Lowestoft lifted a close range 50th minute shot just over the top far corner, before Kellen Fiddy's 55th minute well instinctively powerful half-volley from the edge of the box was beaten behind by the keeper, down smartly to his right-hand, near, post. 

Gledhill meanwhile was slipped through onto the right-hand side on 59 minutes, only to see his smart volley beat the keeper but cleared away ahead of the goal-line.

Lowestoft went close on the hour mark, the visitors weaved through onto the edge of the box before curling just over the top corner.

Gledhill neatly set up James Coton in acres of space on the edge of the box following an excellent long ball, though the latter's 63rd minute low fierce strike was well blocked by the defender. 

Lowestoft broke through on 64 minutes but skewed the shot wide of the target, who saw a good low strike from distance towards the bottom left-hand corner well watched and held by Skinner a minute later.

Bobby was fed through down the right wing into space on 69 minutes, albeit his dangerous low ball into the six yard box was collected by the keeper ahead of his near post.

Skinner meanwhile was forced into a world class save on 77 minutes, flying up to his top right-hand, far, corner to tip a looping shot over.

Needham sustained a spell of good pressure from the visitors before extending their lead with ten minutes remaining. Oscar Wakeling expertly found the bottom left-hand corner to make it 4-1. 

Wakeling then created the fifth on 84 minutes, his right wing set-piece saw a close range shot blocked, as Gledhill saw a shot at point blank range brilliantly saved as far as Charlie Smy to stab home into the bottom corner.

Henry Vieira saw a thunderous shot from the left-hand side beaten away by the keeper at his near post a minute later, while Lowestoft found a man unmarked on the right-hand edge of the box on 89 minutes only to fire wide of the bottom right-hand corner. 

Lowestoft whipped a 95th minute left wing effort straight into Skinner's chest at his near post, as Needham recorded a fine 5-1 victory.

Midfielder and goalscorer Charlie Smy reflects on last night's win and previews Saturday's trip to Gorleston Reserves for the Reserves.

DK: A very good victory in the FA Youth Cup, you must be delighted. 

CS: Yeah, buzzing, Drew. I think it's a really good performance, good team performance and yeah, just buzzing to get the win.

DK: Yeah, you've scored quite a few goals in the last two rounds with no disrespect to the opposition, that must make it more pleasing. 

CS: Nah, definitely. I think Lowestoft they're a good team, so it's good that we got five past them, so yeah, really good attacking display from the boys.

DK: Yeah, first half especially to have suffered that equaliser and continue on, that was good. 

CS: Yeah, I thought we reacted really well to, it's an unlucky  deflection, but I think we reacted really well and then yeah, took our chances, which is good. 

DK: Yeah, quite clinical, more so first half.

CS: Yeah, 100%, I agree. I think second half the game had a bit more in for them, but then I think we settled down and then got the two goals that we needed. So yeah, really good, really happy with the team. Yeah, really happy with my performance and yeah, good. 

DK: And you got on the scoresheet to cap it all off. 

CS: Yeah, really happy with that. I mean, I don't score a lot, Drew, but try and celebrate when I do, but yeah, really happy. 

DK: What was going through your mind as that played out? 

CS: Oh, I was just trying to get onto it really. I saw it just bounce around in the box. I thought I'll try and nick one in and yeah, luckily it went in, but yeah, buzzing. 

DK: Caps off a rather perfect night. 

CS: Yeah, really happy. FA Youth Cup is special, especially as it's our last year. Obviously, as we're the older ones, but yeah, really special night, really good team performance and yeah, I'm just buzzing with the win. 

DK: That was the next question, how much does it mean to you to progress in this Cup? 

CS: Yeah, a lot. I think we really want to go far in the Cup, so hopefully we can keep winning games. Obviously, it gets tough now. What's this, third round? Yeah, so it's going to get a lot more tougher, but yeah, I think we can do it. I think we've got a really good team, but let's just see how it goes.

DK: Saturday, Reserves, I believe you're away to Gorleston Reserves, another tough game. 

CS: Yeah, every game in that league is tough, but hopefully we can take the momentum over and get the three points. 

DK: Yeah, having the crux of that team playing tonight, you've all firmly acquainted with each other, so that helps give you an extra boost.

CS: Yeah, definitely. All of us playing tonight, most of us will all play Saturday, so it gives the team a lot of chemistry and yeah, hopefully we can get the three points. Scenes in the changing room, but everyone's just buzzing to get through to the next round, so hopefully we can keep progressing.