The Times FA Youth Cup 6th round, Tue 30 March 1999Arsenal 0 (0) West Ham 0 (0)Replay next Tues, 6 April at Upton Park, 7pm kickoff. Arsenal: Graham Stack; Keith Fahey (Cedric Itonga 65), Rohan Ricketts, Greg Oates
(Liam Chilvers h-t), Rhys Weston; Leon Britton, James Harper, Guillaume Norbert;
Graham Barrett, Joe Osei-Kuffour, Jay Bothroyd (Carlin Itonga 72) West Ham: Stephen Bywater; Terrell Forbes, Ezomo Iriekpen,
Stevland Angus; Adam Newton, Shaun Byrne, Michael Ferrante, Michael
Carrick, Joe Cole; Richard Garcia, Albert Brayley Ref: M Ives A relatively young Arsenal side held West Ham to a goalless draw at Highbury last night in the quarter final of the FA Youth Cup. The West Ham U19 team is currently flying high at the top of the Premier Academy league, having lost only once this season (to a rather stronger Arsenal team a couple of weeks ago). The team they had last night certainly looked somewhat older than Arsenal's, included Joe Cole (who has played for the 1st team), and I believe was the same 11 which beat York 5-0 in the previous round. Arsenal on the other hand had only 3 players too old for the Under 17 team, and only 6 of the team who started the home game in the previous round against Palace. Arsenal played a sort of 4-3-3 formation, with Kuffour, Barrett and Bothroyd up front, though Bothroyd spent much of the time wide on the left wing. West Ham I think used a 3-5-2 formation with the highly regarded Cole in a floating role in midfield. Arsenal actually had the ball in the net in the first minute when Kuffour chased Fahey's long pass forward and the Hammer's central defender Iriekpen missed his attempt to clear. Kuffour finished superbly, lobbing a volley over the keeper and under the bar, but the ref had blown, presumably for a push on the defender though I couldn't see it. Bit of a David and Goliath match as well. After a fairly bright start by Arsenal, West Ham had the better of the next 20 minutes or so, particularly causing problems down both flanks where Arsenal had two young players out of position. Fahey, normally a central midfielder, lacked a bit of pace and was beaten a couple of times by West Ham's Irish wingback Byrne, though nothing quite came of the crosses into the middle. On the other side, Ricketts (who is normally a right back I think, certainly right footed anyway) was also caught short a couple of times. One dangerous cross from the right was headed out for a corner by Fahey at the far post, just in front of an attacker. Another cross did reach a West Ham player at the far post, and his downward header beat Stack but was cleared off the line, I think by Oates. One of the big Hammers back 3 then had a chance from a corner but he headed wide. A slip by Oates in the area then opened up a chance for a shot from the edge of the box, but the defender recovered his feet quickly and did well to deflect the shot wide. Meanwhile, midway through the half at the other end, Barrett had probably the best chance so far, when Fahey's free kick picked him out unmarked just outside the 6yd box, but he put a free header over the bar. Arsenal then got back into the match, and had probably the better of the rest of the half. A good run down the right by Norbert ended with him digging out an excellent cross which reached Bothroyd in the middle. The ball was slightly behind him, but he still managed to get in a great shot on the half-volley which whistled over the bar. Kuffour then turned well to work himself some space in the left of the area, and whipped in a shot which curled just beyond the far post. Shortly afterwards one of the defenders gave the ball away to Bothroyd about 40 yards out, and he took it forward before hitting a trememdous 30 yard shot which was probably just going over, but the keeper got a faint touch to make sure. On another occasion Bothroyd intercepted another pass out of defence, and played a pass forward for Barrett making a run on his right when he probably would have been better taking it on himself because Barrett's run had taken a couple of defenders out of the middle, and the young Irishman was eventually rather fortuitously dispossessed. West Ham were still looking dangerous on the break, and about 5 minutes before the break also had the ball in the net when a pass down the middle put Brayley clear and he just beat Stack to the ball to nick it past him into the net, but the offside flag was up. Liam Chilvers replaced Greg Oates in central defence at the start of the second half which was largely dominated by the Hammers, though Arsenal again came back into it in the final 15 minutes or so. Joe Cole, despite apparently nursing a stiff hamstring, pretty much ran the game with some delightful first time passes and touches - definitely a star in the making. He tried one outrageous reverse pass by kicking the ball with his right foot behind his left (if you see what I mean) which didn't quite come off, but looked brilliant nonetheless. On another occasion after Chilvers had given the ball away, a Cole backheel almost played in one of the strikers, but Harper eventually cleared after a bit of dithering between him and the keeper. There were plenty of other close shaves in the Arsenal area. Stack made one flying save from an angled shot from the right, and also did well on a couple of other occasions to just get a hand or a punch to crosses into the area. On one occasion when he was beaten the ball was knocked back into the 6yd area and a West Ham player seemed favourite to knock it into the empty net, but Fahey bravely got back and got his head to the ball just ahead of the Hammer's boot and was rewarded with a free kick for dangerous play. In the final 15-20 minutes Arsenal gradually began to work their way back into the game. Bothroyd laid a beautiful ball across the area with a first time volley from the left which was only inches too far in front of the umarked Kuffour as he rushed in, and from around the penalty spot he could only get a faint touch on the ball. Arsenal's best chance of the half then came when Harper, I think, then threaded a pass forward into the left of the area to put Bothroyd in on the keeper, but his left foot from an angle shaved the far post. However, a couple of minutes from time it looked like West Ham had won it. I think it was Cole who shot from just outside the area, Stack made a good save but couldn't hold the ball and it rebounded into the path of another West Ham player, Brayley I think. With an empty net and the ball on the 6 yard line he seemed certain to score, but to credit Stack the keeper recovered quickly to put him under a bit of pressure, and he somehow put his shot just the wrong side of the post. A large part of the crowd thought it had gone in because the ball grazed the side netting and then bounced of the advertising boards at the Clock end back into the rear of the net. In the final minute Arsenal worked a good position, Barrett making a good run down the left and then holding the ball before playing a square pass to pick out Britton's run into the area. He couldn't quite get the ball under sufficient control to get a shot in, and the danger was eventually cleared, but in the midst of it all one of the West Ham players went down clutching his face. I didn't see what happened, but the ref seemed in no doubt and sent off Norbert, apparently for using an elbow. The young Frenchman following rather too closely in the footsteps of his senior compatriot with his 2nd red card in successive FA youth cup games. Overall I thought Arsenal did quite well against a stronger team. Harper, the most experienced player on the team again impressed as the holding midfielder. He's got a good touch and awareness, and a good positional sense too. The other U19 player Weston also had a good game in central defence. Made one briliant goal saving block tackle in the 1st half. Bothroyd is another I'd say has potential. He did quite well, particularly in the first half - two good feet, and quite skilful for one so lanky. Kuffour also has quite a good touch, but is somewhat diminutive and struggled a bit against West Ham's big central defenders. Norbert is a good player with the ball at his feet, though it looks like he needs to learn to control his temper. Barrett always works hard, but I think needs to play with his head up a bit more. One of the things which I think marked Cole out as a class above most of the others was the way he was always looking for options before the ball reached him. Derek The Times also has a report here and there is a brief report here on AFCi.
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