Under 18 4 – 3 Norwich City U18 – Match Report

Our Under 18s won 4-3 against Norwich City at London Colney on Saturday.

Will Sweet gave us the lead with an early header, but Errol Mundle-Smith pulled one back for the visitors to put Norwich 2-1 up. Harrison Dutziak was 2-2.

Michal Rosiak scored a free-kick and Kamarni Ryan scored another in the 81st minute to make it 4-2, before La Sean Sealy scored a consolation goal.

A perfect start

The game could not have started better for us. From a Rossiak corner, Sweet scored his second goal for the U18s to give us an early lead.

We could have made it 2-0 minutes later, Lewis Brown’s cross resulting in a goalmouth scramble, but the Canaries managed to clear the danger.

Norwich is the answer

Norwich don’t look like a side in the league who have failed to pick up a point and they caught us off guard in the 16th minute with a quick free-kick to Miles Brocking. His cross was met by Mundle-Smith who tucked the ball into the bottom left corner first time to make it 1-1.

Eight minutes later, Mundle-Smith scored his second goal in style, getting on the end of a long ball and getting over our defense and slotting it into the back of the net from distance.

Theo Julien shot over the bar from long range at the other end and we looked for a way back into the game but it was Dutsiak who found it for us.

Turning it around

Dudziak made it 2-2 when he got to the far post to head home Osman Kamara’s through ball.

He had a strike from the edge of the area by Henry Pullen before Rosiak deflected a free-kick wide for a corner.

Blaise Agolfier headed over the bar from a Rosiac cross and Pinnone curled a free-kick into the side netting at the other end.

Jack Wilshere made one change at half-time, replacing Agolfier with Louis Copley.

Ryan, Seb Ferdinand and Omari Benjamin replaced Dutziak, Mason Kutcher and Daniel Oyedunde respectively with three changes with half an hour remaining.

It was a quiet second half until the 65th minute when Rosiak did what he often does, scoring a free-kick to give us a 3-2 lead.

Norwich won a free-kick which was flicked on by Finley Cork’s head, before Lewis Brown tried his luck from long-range and Bullen got down to his left to make the catch.

With nine minutes remaining, Benjamin combined to knock Ryan down to make it 4-2.

Benjamin was more hungry but could only cushion the ball into the roof of the net from Rosiak’s cross, Benjamin then cut in from the left and curled wide of the far post.

We were in doubt when a ball inside our penalty area fell kindly for Sealy, who made it 4-3, but Norwich couldn’t create another chance and we held on for all three points.

What does that mean?

We are now seventh in the U18 Premier League South with 15 points from nine games.

What’s next

After the November international break, we travel to Derby County Football Academy to face the Rams in the U18 Premier League Cup, where a draw could see them progress to the knockout stages of the competition.

Following that, League football returns to London Colney on Saturday, December 16 with the visit of Fulham.

Group messages

Arsenal: Okonkwo, Julien, Kagurri, Sweet, Brown, Rosiak, Dutsiak (C) (Ryan 61), Agolbree (Copley 45), Oyedunde (Benjamin 61), Katcher (Fertinand 61), Kamara.

Substitutes (not used): Cooper.

City of Norwich: Pullen, Ofori-Montave, Djetje, Keita, Braking (Roland 75), Thompson, Simboy, Oskan, Sealy, Mundle-Smith (Karke 66), Pinyon (Ogbo 66).

Substitutes (Not Used): None.

Major events

Objectives: Arsenal – Sweet (3), Dutsiak (35), Rosiak (65), Ryan (81), Norwich City – Mundle-Smith (16, 24), Sealy (90+4)

Reservations: Arsenal – Benjamin (70), Norwich City – Djettje (41)