AXA FA Youth Cup, semi-final 2nd legWeds 9th May 2001Ipswich Town 2 (2) Arsenal 4 (1)Arsenal win 7-6 on aggregateArsenal: Craig Holloway; Moritz Volz (Alex Bailey h-t), Ben Chorley,
Ryan Garry, Nicky Nicolau; Steven Sidwell,
Rohan Ricketts, Stephen Santry (Carlin Itonga h-t), Jerome Thomas;
Jeremie Aliadiere, Jermaine Pennant Scorers: Santry 12, Ricketts 68, Aliadiere 79, Thomas 88 Ipswich: Kelly; Artun, Snowdon, Beevers, Bonwick; Westlake (Mayes 81),
Bloomfield, Ambrose, Dickinson (Robinson 77); Burton (Richards 64), Bent Scorers: Bloomfield 17, Bent 44
Ref: P Walton Another hugely entertaining game at Portman Road last night, as the Arsenal youth team eventually overwhelmed their Ipswich counterparts during a sustained 2nd half onslaught. After a first half during which the young Tractor Boys perhaps deserved their one goal lead, the young Gunners totally turned things round after the break with a quite stunning display of attacking football. They scored 3 times to overturn an overall 2 goal deficit, but should and probably would have at least doubled that but for a brilliant performance by Kelly in the Ipswich goal. In a fairly cautious start by both teams, it was Arsenal who looked the likelier to score early on. Pennant's run and cross from the right was almost turned in by Aliadiere, and then a cross from the other flank by Thomas was miscued into the air by a defender, and as the keeper, a couple of defenders and attackers challenged for the ball, it dropped to Volz, but he dragged a left foot shot wide of a more or less open goal from about 10 yards. At the other end Holloway's kicking was the main source of danger, one of his clearances going straight to an Ipswich player about 40 yards out, but with the keeper off his line the shot sailed well over the bar. With just over 10 minutes gone Arsenal did get the start they needed. Another Pennant run caused confusion in the Ipswich area and the ball eventually broke to Santry running in, and he swept a left foot shot from the edge of the area into the near corner. About 5 minutes later however, Ipswich hit back with a nicely constructed goal. Bent got free down the right and sent over a cross which reached the unmarked Bloomfield in the middle, and he planted a firm header back the way it came and inside the post, giving Holloway little chance. The home team now began to settle and proceeded to have more of the game for much of the rest of the half. They almost went ahead when the Arsenal defence stood and watched as a long clearance sailed over their heads, while Bent managed to stretch and get in a flicked header which cleared the stranded Holloway but flashed narrowly wide. The young striker then got clear onto the end of another long ball, but this time Holloway did rather better and was out quickly to make a good block. Soon afterwards a somewhat mishit shot from 20 yards looped towards the far top corner of Holloway's goal, but fortunately just cleared it. At the other end Arsenal were still looking dangerous on the break. Another cross from Thomas was almost put into his own net by a defender, and from Pennant's corner Sidwell vollied in a 20 yarder which Kelly tipped over. Santry sent another 20 yard left footer a foot or so wide, and just before half time Volz fired in a tremendous shot from fully 30 yards which Kelly could only beat aside. However, it was Ipswich who went ahead just before the break with a superbly worked goal. Some clever interpassing down the right put Ambrose clear and he crossed into the middle where Burton I think dummied it to leave Bent with a clear shot, and he finished clinically, placing a sidefoot shot back across Holloway and into the far corner. Arsenal changed things around at half time. Having played more or less a 4-3-3 in the first half with Pennant & Thomas either side of Aliadiere, they brought on Itonga for Santry to partner Aliadiere, and switched to 4-4-2, or in fact the way the half went, more of a 4-2-4. Alex Bailey also replaced Moritz Volz at right back, presumably because the latter was injured. Anyway, the change and, I'd guess, a bit of a tongue lashing at half time worked wonders because the second 45 was totally dominated by the young Gunners as they created chance after chance. Within a couple of minutes they'd hit the bar twice, first when Itonga was put through and had only Kelly to beat but somehow the keeper deflected his shot onto the bar. A few seconds later Sidwell fired in a 20 yarder which was deflected and again bounced back off the crossbar. Kelly then saved well from a Pennant free kick, and made another brilliant save when Aliadiere was put through not long afterwards. He then came out quickly to make a superb block from Thomas after Pennant had made a scintillating run across the pitch to set his opposite number up. Itonga then got round a defender on the right and cut in towards goal. With only the keeper to beat he might have shot from an angle, but chose instead to lay the ball square for Thomas. Kelly however had anticipated and was out quickly to make another great block at Thomas' feet. The young keeper then made another unbelievable save when Aliadiere I think chipped a clever ball over the defence to find Itonga in the left side of the area and he vollied a left foot goalwards from about 8 yards, but Kelly somehow flung himself across and turned it round the post. It was beginning to look like one of those games where Arsenal would do everything but score another goal when finally, just after the midway point of the half they equalised. Bailey combined well with Itonga on the right, sending him away and the striker crossed, the ball going just behind Aliadiere and Pennant, but it went through to Ricketts running in late, and he placed a sidefoot shot back across the keeper and into the far corner. Kelly made another couple of good saves before Arsenal deservedly took the lead on the night about 10 minutes later. Following a rare Ipswich attack, Aliadiere collected the ball near the halfway line and ran at the Ipswich defence, went round the last man to leave himself with only Kelly to beat, which he duly did with a firm right foot shot. Even then the keeper managed to get a hand to it, but couldn't stop it going in. Arsenal continued to pour forward, but as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes Ipswich looked like holding out and taking the game into extra time, which might not have been good news for most of the Arsenal lads who'd played a gruelling 2 hour game on Saturday. However, with less than 2 minutes left Arsenal broke forward once more, Thomas running at the Ipswich defence with Aliadiere and Itonga in support. He probably should have passed but instead went past his marker and placed a shot past the keeper and into the near corner from the edge of the area. 3 goals in 20 minutes had completely turned the tie round. Ipswich pressed desperately forward in the last few minutes looking for the goal which would have levelled the tie on aggregate, and were perhaps helped by the fact that Arsenal were still flooding forward when they could, looking for more which was in some ways nice to see. However, bar a couple of short alarms in the Arsenal area, they didn't manage to seriously threaten and the ref finally blew the whistle to give the young Gunners a thoroughly deserved victory. Ipswich's team was composed mainly of under-17s, so Arsenal would have expected to win, but their attacking performance in the 2nd half really was quite brilliant. Pennant, Aliadiere, Itonga and Thomas all played superbly, with Ricketts and Sidwell prompting well from midfield. I thought the pair of them have been slightly below par in the last couple of games I've seen, and were again before half time, but both had a great 2nd half, Ricketts in particular I thought. The defence looked somewhat uncertain in the first half, perhaps in part due to Holloway's hesitancy in coming off his line. Not surprising though, as Holloway, Nicolau and Garry all qualify for the U17s, as does Bailey who particularly impressed in the 2nd half. Arsenal now meet Blackburn in the 2 leg final, after they beat Liverpool on penalties after two 1-1 draws. The first leg is at Highbury on Fri 18 May, and the return at Ewood Park the following Tuesday. Derek
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