The Northampton Town Football and Education Programme South Premier Division squad progressed to the NFYL Trophy final with a 6-1 win at home to Leeds United on Wednesday afternoon.
Eddie Panter scored three, Cairo Taylor a brace and Freddie King the Cobblers’ other goal as they knocked out their North West Premier Division opponents.
The hosts almost opened the scoring in the fourth minute, but Panter’s lob was hooked off the line by a defender.
The striker did put his side ahead five minutes later, winning a penalty and slotting home from 12 yards.
He doubled his tally and the advantage midway through the first half, firing a left-footed shot across goal and into the bottom corner.
Harry Francis-Jones was forced into a low save at his near post to preserve the Cobblers’ two-goal lead 10 minutes before the break.
But Panter made it three late in the half, flicking over the onrushing goalkeeper and nodding into the empty net to complete a perfect hat-trick.
Leeds pulled one back on the hour mark when an effort from the edge of the area nestled in the bottom left.
They came close to another soon after, but Francis-Jones made a great diving save to push a driven shot wide.
However, the Cobblers stifled their opponents’ comeback and regained their three-goal advantage moments later when substitute Cairo Taylor rounded the ‘keeper and passed into the back of the net.
Panter played King through with a quick free-kick, and the forward placed home to add a fifth with 20 minutes to go.
Taylor made sure of his side’s place in the final late on, side-footing in his second and the hosts’ sixth after Elliot Turton won the ball off a defender.
Fran Constancio’s team will face divisional rivals Reading in the final, and return to league action on Friday when they travel to top-of-the-table Crystal Palace.
Cobblers: Harry Francis-Jones, Zack Douglas, Ellis Andrews, David Sarpong, Jake Webster, Pearce Jones, Mac Coulson, Elliot Turton, Freddie King, Eddie Panter, Kieron Mobbs
Substitutes: Ethan Aldridge, Johnny Carey, Jed Roberts, Patrick McGrath, Cairo Taylor