EFL YOUTH ALLIANCE LEAGUE SOUTH EAST
Saturday November 6th, 10:30am
Shephalbury Sports Academy
STEVENAGE UNDER 18S 3
Theo Alexandrou 29
Jaden Oguwazor 34
Teddy Stevenson 64
NORTHAMPTON TOWN UNDER 18S 1
Kai O’Keeffe 25
Cobblers: James Dadge, Courtney Lashley, Dylan Hill, Josh Brown, Jack Connor (sub Tom Ladyman 79), Ethan Lack (sub Peter Abimbola 56), Tommy Curry (sub Miguel Ngwa 56), Kai O’Keeffe, Rico Duggan (sub Kenny Ndefo 74), David Sarpong (sub Reece Irwin 74), Tom Cartwright
Northampton Town Under 18s surrendered a lead as they lost 3-1 away to Stevenage in the EFL Youth Alliance League South East on Saturday.
Kai O’Keeffe (pictured) opened the scoring for the young Cobblers, but Boro turned the game around within 10 minutes and sealed three points in the second half.
Coach Shane Goddard made two changes to the team that knocked King’s Lynn Town out of the FA Youth Cup.
Ethan Lack and Tom Cartwright came into the side, replacing Peter Abimbola and Josh Tomlinson who were both involved with the first team and in the FA Youth Cup tie during the week.
The Cobblers created the first chance of the match when Rico Duggan shot over from the edge of the area early on.
Duggan teed up Tommy Curry midway through the opening period, but the winger’s effort was blocked on the line by Freddie Stanley.
O’Keeffe broke the deadlock a few minutes later, unleashing a strike into the top corner after being played in by David Sarpong’s long ball.
However, Stevenage were ahead before the break as Theo Alexandrou finished in off the post and Jaden Oguwazor headed home from Lewis Lynn’s wide free kick.
Boro came close to extending their lead soon after the interval, but substitute Finlay Johnson, who scored a hat-trick in their midweek FA Youth Cup win away to Brantham Athletic, curled just wide of the far post.
Teddy Stevenson did add a third after the hour, finding the bottom corner from Harry Gilzean’s deflected cross.
Substitute Abimbola’s drive was well saved by Timmy Smith, who denied Jack Connor from the resulting corner as the Cobblers looked to respond a few minutes later.
Any hopes of a comeback were ended late on, though, when goalkeeper James Dadge was adjudged to have prevented a goalscoring opportunity and sent off.
The youth team travel to Wellingborough Town in the Northamptonshire FA Under 18s David Joyce Cup quarter final on Tuesday.
Goddard’s side will host Stockport County in the next round of the FA Youth Cup. Details are to be confirmed.
STEVENAGE MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 6
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 4
CORNERS: (4) 5
FOULS: (7) 14
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 3
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 5
CORNERS: (3) 6
FOULS: (9) 13
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 1