Sevenoaks Town Youth 3 v 0 Chatham Town Youth
1-0 Harris (17), 2-0 Edwards (21), 3-0 Duncan (43).
This second Kent Youth cup tie was an excellent advert for the Kent Youth League with two currently unbeaten sides playing attractive passing football. It was the home side that started the game brightly going close to taking the lead after only 3 minutes when Chatham Town keeper Harvey Mills saw his clearance from wide left of his goal only find a Sevenoaks player who quickly crossed in to Elliot Duncan who controlled the ball well before turning and flashing a low shot narrowly wide as Mills scrambled back across his goal. Minutes later it was the visitors who had a chance when their impressive midfielder general Luis Dos Santos sent over a free kick from wide right that found Oscar Pantry on the edge of the box but his shot on the turn flew over. Dos Santos then fired in a long range effort that home keeper Tom Cleary gathered low down before the action quickly switched to the other end with a Sam Harris in-swinging corner from the right finding Harry Edwards at the far post but stretching he could only head wide of the target. On 13 minutes Sevenoaks midfielder Charlie Greenwood played the ball up to Duncan who made space well on the edge of the box before flashing a low shot just wide. Minutes later it was Charlie Pickard’s pass that found Duncan who again turned well but his curling shot from the edge of the box was superbly tipped away by the diminutive Mills diving high to his left to claw the ball over for a corner. However from this taken by Harris they did take the lead when his excellent in-swinging corner from the right flew over the outstretched hand of a leaping Mills and into the far corner of the net. Sevenoaks then quickly doubled their lead with a goal that had a touch of good fortune to it as Edwards hit a 25 yard shot that took a massive deflection off a Chatham defender, totalling wrong footing Mills as he moved to his left, with the ball spinning into the net off his right hand post. Chatham’s Pantry then made a strong run forward before hitting a fierce shot that flew just wide. Just after the half hour mark a high cross from Caleb Edorh found Edwards but his volley flew straight at Mills before Edorh then had a low shot well saved by Mills diving low to his left. Chatham’s Jack Kelly then forced Cleary into a good save high to his left to keep out his long range shot. Sevenoaks were then awarded a penalty just before half time when Luke Salmons made a strong run into the box where Mills dived at his feet to gather the ball bringing down Salmons in the process. The Referee deemed that Mills had brought the player down before touching the ball and awarded a spot kick. This was taken by Duncan who fired home low to the left of the diving Mills. In the second half Chatham had the lion’s share of possession but could not break down the home defence. Indeed it was not until the 63rd minute that the visitors had their first chance of the half when Dos Santos burst into the box but from an acute angle sent his low shot into the side netting. A minute later it looked as if Chatham would pull a goal back when a Tyler Juggins right wing corner was powerfully headed goalwards by George Green, the ball beating the diving Cleary high to his left but was headed off the line by Sid Smith guarding their left hand post. On 69 minutes Dos Santos flashed a long range effort narrowly wide before on 76 minutes his clever free kick found Joshua McIlherson but close range header was well saved by Cleary moving to his left. Cleary then made another good save a minute later diving low to his left to keep out another Dos Santos long range shot. Into the final 10 minutes of the match Dos Santos again tested Cleary with another long range shot that home keeper saved diving low to his left. Then in stoppage time a Juggins right wing corner found Green whose towering header flew just wide. Dos Santos then fired a shot from an acute angle over before Juggins had a long range shot fly straight at Cleary.