Our U18 side lost 6-2 against Swindon Town in the FA Youth Cup first round at the Energy Check County Ground on November 4th, 2017.
Goals from Sol Pryce, Ollie Rejek, Luke Haines and Teo Atik saw the Young Exiles knocked out of the FA Youth Cup.
County were instantly put under pressure, with Lewis Webb being forced into action early on, having to make a brilliant save in the 4th minute to keep the scores level.
Then, in the 11th minute, Lewis Webb couldn’t stop the hosts from breaking the deadlock. He was put under pressure by their forwards, and the Robins took advantage of some poor defending, with Sol Pryce managing to find the back of the net to put his side 1-0 up.
Swindon then suddenly found themselves with ten men after Jacob Bancroft was shown a red card for a dangerous challenge in the 18th minute.
The Young Exiles put Swindon under pressure, looking for an equalizer. Liam Bishop and Michael Cook both had good chances in the next five minutes to find a leveller, but neither Bishop nor Cook could convert them.
Joe Hunt stepped up to take a free kick in the 33rd minute but he couldn’t quite direct his strike on target, with it floating just over the crossbar.
County would soon be made to rue their missed chances, with Swindon capitalizing on their chance three minutes after. Ollie Rejek smashed home a second goal for the hosts, with the shot going in after hitting the underside of the crossbar.
Byron Anthony was forced into making a change in the 40th minute, after Lucas Murray picked up and injury and was replaced by Josh Williams.
Williams almost made an instant impact, he caused problems for Swindon and had a shot saved by Swindon’s ‘keeper Archie Matthews.
The referee then called an end to the first-half, with the Young Exiles trailing 2-0 away from home.
A single change was made at half-time for the Young Exiles, with Lewis Collins coming on for Jay Williams with County trying to get back into the game.
The change worked; Lewis Collins looked lively in the middle of the park, causing many problems for Swindon. It was his pass that played Owura Edwards though, before Edwards put a brilliant cross into the direction of Michael Cook – his looping header beat the keeper to get a goal back for County in the 49th minute.
Collins then scored the leveller, pouncing on a mistake from Swindon and making a brilliant 40 yard run into the box before calmly finishing past Matthews into the bottom left corner, six minutes after Michael Cook scored County’s first.
Despite having only ten men, Swindon started to pressurize the Young Exiles and went searching for a third goal.
Byron Anthony made his final substitution in the 75th minute, bringing off Owura Edwards for Liam Warman in the hope of finding a winner in the FA Youth Cup round one.
Swindon then scored found a third goal, with Luke Haines heading home in the 79th minute.
Sol Pryce and Ollie Rejek scored Swindon’s fourth and five goals in the 83rd and 87th minute respectively.
The Robins found one more goal in stoppage time, with Teo Atik scoring a sixth for Alan Mcloughlin’s side, knocking the Young Exiles out of the FA Youth Cup in the first round.
NEXT UP: The Young Exiles face Oxford United in the League on Tuesday 7th October 2017. (Kick off 1pm)
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County Starting XI: Webb, Williams (Lewis Collins 45’), Hunt, Savigar, Murray (Josh Williams 40), Foulston (c), Edwards (Liam Warman 74’), Press, Cook, Bishop, Hillman.
Subs Not Used: Callum Beckett, Owen Taylor.
Yellow Cards: Joe Hunt.
Swindon Town Starting XI: Matthews, Giamattei, Romanski, Rejek, Haines, Graham, White (Wells 72’), Dugan (Stanley 85’), Pryce (c) ( Atik 86’), Edwards, Bancroft.
Subs Not Used: Owens, Blackwell.
Yellow Cards: Luke Haines.
Red Cards: Jacob Bancroft.