Oxford United U18s beat Plymouth Argyle on penalties after a 1-1 draw to send them through to the Youth Alliance Cup semi-finals yesterday afternoon.
Jack Lee gave United a first-half lead, tapping home the rebound after his initial penalty had been saved, but Argyle responded with a late equaliser in stoppage time.
United then won the resultant penalty shoot-out 4-2, thanks to two excellent saves from Ajae Patel, with Josh Holton converting the winning spot kick.
This was a young side for the U’s, with the majority of second years being out on loan, meaning starts for youngsters Callum Palmer-Flynn and Harley Gardner.
It was a very energetic start from the Yellows in sunny Oxfordshire. The U’s started on the front foot with an early chance falling to Lee that he blazed over the crossbar.
The number nine was then brought down in the box, to win his side a penalty. His initial penalty was saved, however he was able to finish it on the follow up to open the scoring just 12 minutes in.
The U’s kept a constant pressure on the visitors, not letting them get out of their own half and threatened to double the lead on multiple occasions.
The Yellows came close to a second when Jameson Blackmore delivered a cross that ended up deceiving the keeper and striking the crossbar; Lee put it in on the rebound, but he was flagged for offside.
Argyle started to get more of a foothold in the game towards the end of the first half, although it was the U’s who took the 1-0 advantage into the break.
A couple of chances fell to both sides in the opening stages of the second half, with the best chance falling to Plymouth winger Finn, but he was denied by an important piece of defending from Calum Doyle.
Finn continued to cause problems down the right-hand side, and once again was halted by an excellent bit of defending, this time by skipper Ibby Bangurah.
The visitors got the leveller in the first of six minutes of injury time. Joel Sullivan got an important touch to deflect Joel Tolcher's effort into the back of the net.
Level after 90 meant the game headed straight to penalties.
Both sides missed their opening penalty, with Lee’s effort being saved before Patel got a big hand to Plymouth’s first penalty to tip it onto the post. Both sides scored their next two,with Leo Snowden and Doyle putting theirs away. Blackmore then nestled his into the back of the next before Ajae Patel made a massive save to deny Jensen Ireland.
Holton stepped up and converted his spot kick calmly to send the U’s through to the final four.
UNITED: Patel, Palmer-Flynn, Blackmore, Bangurah, Gardner, Doyle, Missanga (Abolade 68), Holton, Lee, Griffiths (Griffith 88), Snowden
Unused subs: Osborne, Appiah
Report: Ollie Chamberlain
