Match by Match Reports

12th December 2023

FA Youth Cup 3rd Round

Won 4-1

Scorers - Martin Sherif 2. Matthew Apter, George Morgan

 

Match Report from Everton Website

Everton Under-18s secured a spot in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup by defeating a spirited Stockport County 4-1 at Goodison Park on Tuesday evening.

Dutch striker Martin Sherif scored either side of Kylan Depeiaza’s leveller, before Matthew Apter and George Morgan sealed victory late on to set up a home tie against Chelsea next month.

Stockport started the brighter and would have taken the lead inside three minutes but Blues’ shot-stopper George Pickford expertly denied Lee Williams’ efforts. 

Kingston Fligg then went close, with full-back Joshua Van Schoor doing well to deflect his attempt away from goal, before Ashton Mee and Depeiaza also saw their attempts blocked.

Everton grew into the contest and started to threaten, with Aled Thomas’ 19th-minute header falling agonisingly short and then Sherif’s effort narrowly missing the left-hand side of the goal.

Morgan then embarked on a promising run down the left flank, delivering a low drive to Joel Catesby. However, the opposition's resolute defence blocked the attempt.

Harrison Armstrong added to the spectacle with a brilliant attempt that grazed the crossbar. Minutes later, a well-executed corner on the left side forced a decisive save from the visitors' keeper Kane Mavarantziotis-Bove.

Eventually, Everton’s pressure paid off as a corner orchestrated by Callum Bates provided the breakthrough. Sherif rose effortlessly above the defence, heading the ball past the keeper and into the net for a 1-0 lead.

The contest was far from over, however, as the Hatters mounted a spirited comeback in the additional two minutes of first-half stoppage time. Depeiaza's determined drive eluded Pickford, levelling the score at 1-1.

The Blues fought back in the second period and regained control of the tie in the 59th minute when Armstrong’s flick-on was powered home by Sherif for his second of the night.

Stockport continued to battle bravely, but second-half substitute Apter took the game away from them in the 86th minute when his superb strike from a half-cleared corner flew into the top corner to give the Blues a two-goal cushion.

Sherif was then denied a hat-trick when he blazed a stoppage-time penalty over the bar, but it didn’t matter as Morgan sealed the deal with a fourth in the 100th minute to grant the young Blues a well-deserved victory and set-up a fourth-round tie against Chelsea in January.

21st January 2024

FA Youth Cup 4th Round

Lost 0-2

 

Match Report from Chelsea Website

 

10-man Chelsea secured a 2-0 victory over Everton in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup with an impressive and mature display against the odds at Walton Hall Park.

 

Although the Blues went a man down when Kaiden Wilson was shown a straight red card, they made sure to be clinical when it mattered as Donnell McNeilly fired his side into the lead in the tie.

Producing a mighty defensive performance to keep Everton at bay during the remainder of the first half, the Blues dug in and maintained their lead heading into the break with Max Merrick denying the Toffees from in between the sticks.

After the interval, Tyrique George picked up a loose Everton clearance just inside the box and with a neat swivel and turn, the forward doubled Chelsea's lead to give his side important breathing space.

Keeping a professional performance and managing the final minutes of the game perfectly, the young Blues saw out their victory to secure a fifth round tie with Crystal Palace.

Action-packed opening

Both sides set their stall out early with plenty of action in the opening stages at a blustery and stormy Walton Hall Park. It didn't seem to affect the young Blues as in-form George clipped the crossbar from outside the area as they looked to set the intensity.

However, in an instant the match was flipped on its head as Wilson was given his marching orders after he was adjudged to have brought down George Morgan, denying a goalscoring opportunity.

Despite going a player down, Chelsea remained composed in the face of adversity. And as the clock edged past the 21st minute, Ishe Samuel-Smith played a reverse pass to McNeilly who placed the ball into the far corner from the edge of the box - a perfect response from Hassan Sulaiman's side.

Weather the storm

With the match settling down after a breath-taking opening, the Toffees began to make that extra player count in possession as Morgan forced Chelsea goalkeeper Merrick to stretch towards his near post and tip the ball behind for a corner.

More chances fell to the home side with half-time beckoning as Matthew Apter came close to levelling, but the Blues held firm and went into the interval a goal-up. Chelsea got the second half underway as they continued to try and stifle an Everton attack who had clearly got the bit between their teeth following the sending-off.

The Blues had the first chance after the break through Jimmy-Jay Morgan, but the striker's shot was blocked by an Everton shirt after Josh Acheampong picked out the forward from the right flank.

Doubling the lead

Everton continued to work good shooting opportunities, and as they approached the hour-mark, Morgan flicked Apter's cross just wide of the goal, frustrated by the 10-man Blues.

Those blustery conditions continued to be a factor well into the second half as Ollie Harrison saw his long-range free-kick just tipped over the crossbar after his set-piece was whipped up by the wind.

And Chelsea continued to press despite the numerical disadvantage and eventually found their second of the match as George produced spectacular intricate skill to roll the ball into the far corner under pressure.

 

Although they now had a two-goal lead in the match, the young Blues made sure not to underestimate their opposition as Everton kept knocking on the door - this time Apter forcing Merrick to make a stop to maintain his clean sheet.

Seeing it out

The substitutions started to roll in as Chelsea brought on Reiss-Alexander Russell-Denny and Michael Golding - the latter having only made his debut for the Chelsea first-team a few weeks prior against Preston in the FA Cup third round.

The first of the changes almost had the chance to wrap the game up as Russell-Denny broke past the Toffees' back-line, but he was unable to maintain his footing and found the ball gathered by the on-rushing George Pickford.

 

It was an increasingly professional display from the young Blues as they made attacking their chosen form of defence, with Russell-Denny finding his path to goal blocked on multiple occasions, but going on to secure a 2-0 win.

What it means

The victory means that Crystal Palace await the young Blues in the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup.

What is next

The Under-18s will face-off against Southampton next Saturday (27 January) in the U18 Premier League, with the young Blues currently third in the southern division.

The teams

Chelsea (4-5-1): Merrick; Acheampong, Murray-Campbell, Wilson, Samuels-Smith; Dyer, McNeilly, Harrison (Russell-Denny 74), McMahon, George (Boniface 82); Morgan (Golding 74)
Unused subs: Campbell, Antwi, Runham, Ngumoha
Scorers: McNeilly 21, George 62

Everton (4-3-3): Pickford; Samuels-Smith (Finney 69), van Schoor, Moonan, Thomas (Maher 90+3); Bates, Armstrong, Apter (Foster 69); Beaumont-Clark, Morgan, Ebere
Unused subs: Lukjanciks, Davis, Lambert, Stewart