Norwich City Under-18s took all three points after their top-class performance against Southampton Under-18s on Saturday afternoon.
The U18s named a similar starting XI to the side that beat Brighton & Hove Albion last week, seeing Ola Okeowo and Joe Duffy coming into the side for this home clash against the Saints.
The opening minutes of the game couldn’t go much better for the young Canaries as they found the lead with their first chance. Oscar Thorn made his way into the Southampton box, squaring it across the face of goal for Alex Matos, but it was the Saints’ Will Tizzard who would turn it into his own net.
Just four minutes after gaining the lead, City doubled their margin thanks to Ken Aboh. The forward was outnumbered as two defenders closed him down, but Aboh held them both off with excellent strength before surging into the box and finishing in front of goal.
The game finally settled down after two goals in ten minutes as Southampton began to build chances of their own. The best of these chances came in the 24th minute when a Saints’ shot bundled into the side netting from a tight angle inside the Canaries 18-yard box.
After a quiet ten minutes, Southampton found the next chance as Fedel Ross-Lang fired from outside the box on the Saints’ counter, his shot dragged wide.
As the first half came to its end, Thorn wasn’t finished in front of goal as he looked to get himself on the scoresheet. Another ruthless City attack proved too much for the visitors, leaving the forward open to calmly place his shot into the bottom corner to finish the half.
City made it a habit to start strong in both halves of Saturday’s game as Aboh turned from goalscorer to provider. Firing a cross over from the right-side, the ball fell nicely for Alex Matos, who touched it down before curling his shot past the ‘keeper for an early finish.
The next chance wouldn’t fall until the 65th minute when Southampton’s Lewis Payne saw his shot deflecting off a City shirt and out for a corner. Defending the set-piece just as well, the young Canaries then charged up the other end and were awarded a penalty after a foul behind on Joe Duffy.
Duffy stepped up to the spot-kick, calmly dispatching the penalty he’d earnt, sending the ‘keeper the wrong way as he powerfully placed it into the left-side.
The game came close to finishing with yet another goal as City continued their attack through to the final whistle, Harry Brooke crashing his long-range shot off the crossbar in the game’s last chance.
Norwich City starting XI: Trialist, Alidor-Hamilton, Hills (c), Shipley, Okeowo, Duffy, Earley, Brooke, Thorn (Welch, 67), Aboh, Matos (Reindorf, 80)
Subs not used: Trueman, Reindorf, Foyo, Mason
Goals: Tizzard (3, OG), Aboh (7), Thorn (45)
Bookings: N/A
Southampton starting XI: Hall, Davis, Rodriguez (Carson, 46), Squires, Tizzard (Hewlett, 59), Pambou (Dibling, 73), Wright, Payne (c), Pearce, Ross-Lang, Lett
Subs not used: Ballard, Lillenburg
Goals: N/A
Bookings: N/A