FA youth cup - Arsenal vs Leeds 15/02/00

FA Youth Cup, 6th round

Tue 15th February 2000

Arsenal 1 (0) Leeds United 1 (0)

Result : Arsenal               (0) 1  Leeds                    (0) 1
Scorers: Barrett 60                   Martin 52

Arsenal: Graham Stack; Greg Oates, Rohan Ricketts, John Halls, Niccolo Galli;
         Steven Sidwell, David Noble, Declan Field, Jermaine Pennant;
         Jay Bothroyd, Graham Barrett
         Subs: Jerome Thomas (Field 46), Joe Kuffour (Pennant 65),
               Israel Da Silva Filho (Bothroyd 79), 
               Ben Chorley, Craig Holloway
         Booked: Field

Leeds: Chad Harpur; Fraser Richardson, Alan Martin, Jason Lanns, 
       Larry Farren; Anthony Lennon, Jamie McMaster, David Sherman, 
       Harpal Singh; Caleb Folan, Craig Farrell
       Subs: Shane Cansdell-Sherriff (Folan 70), Martin Cramer,
             Mervyn Travers, Bradley Groves, Henderson
       Booked: Lanns, Sherman, Farrell, Folan, McMaster

Att: ~2000
Ref: P Armstrong (Thatcham)

Another entertaining game in the FA youth cup at Highbury last night, with Arsenal dominating long stretches of the match but unable to quite find the winning goal their efforts deserved. The opening 25 minutes or so were rather scrappy and neither side really gained the upper hand until the last 15-20 minutes when Arsenal gradually took control. The best early chance though fell to Leeds. A long cross from the right picked out Singh at the far post and his downward header almost got past Stack, but the keeper just managed to get a hand to it and divert the ball just past the post.

In the last 3rd of the half though it was Arsenal who took over and created most of the chances and the young Gunners were unlucky not to go in at half time in front. They came closest to scoring a few minutes before half time, when Oates picked up a poor clearance near the half way line and his pass picked out Barrett in space a few yards outside the area. He dribbled into the box and then chipped over a lovely short cross to find Bothroyd unmarked in the middle, but the tall striker's glancing header bounced back off the far post along the line and back into the keeper's arms.

Bothroyd should have scored again just after that when a pass (by Ricketts?) put him through down the inside left channel, but the keeper was out quickly and made a great save, just managing to deflect the shot past the far post. Other chances came and went in that 15-20 minute spell. Following a break down the middle by Noble, Barrett had an angled shot from the right which was a whisker wide of the far post. Pennant also had a good run through the middle which he ended with a lovely reverse pass which put Bothroyd in on goal. On his weaker right foot though he slashed a shot wide of the near post.

Leeds meanwhile had one glorious chance on the break when Ricketts misjudged a long punt forward and his header fell for Lennon to run onto. Clear with only the keeper to beat, he was foiled by a great block by Stack who came racing off his line. Arsenal had the last chance in injury time, when Pennant's deep cross from the right reached Field beyond the far post, but his header back across goal was deflected over the crossbar by a defender just ahead of Bothroyd.

The second half began with Field hobbling painfully around for a minute or so before being replaced by Thomas, and it was a tricky run by the substitute which set up the first chance of the half. He was only stopped when Sherman hacked him down, and from the free kick Noble's curler was well placed towards the far top corner, but the keeper got across well to make a good save.

However, a couple of minutes later it was the visitors who went ahead. A corner from the right was headed clear but the ball only reached Sherman just outside the area and he hooked a volley goalwards. Stack may have had it covered but was left with no chance as Martin deflected a header past him and into the net.

Soon afterwards there was a mass confrontation after Noble had been pulled down as he made another strong run down the middle. He reacted a bit angrily to the tackle, but it seemed fairly mild and nothing to justify a couple of the other Leeds players charging in and starting a bit of push and shove. Lanns in particular went beserk, and having already been booked was somewhat lucky to stay on the pitch. The ref though contented himself with lecturing one or two of the combatants.

The equaliser arrived a couple of minutes later. Thomas made another lovely run, cutting in from the left past a couple of players before slipping a pass through for Barrett to run onto, free into the left side side of the area. From a tight angle he produced a clever finish, nudging the ball past Harpur with the outside of his right foot as the keeper rushed out to meet him.

Thereafter it was pretty much all one way traffic. A lovely move down the left almost brought Arsenal another goal. Bothroyd chipped down the line for Barrett to run onto, he cut into the area before slipping a lovely pass into Thomas' path as he ran into the area. The sub almost suprised Harpur with a snap shot at the near post, but the keeper reacted well to get a hand to it and push the ball round the post. Probably the best chance of the half though fell to Bothroyd. Noble picked up a clearance from a corner wide on the left and slanted a cross into the 6yd box. It bounced up and hit Lanns on the arm a few feet in front of the goalline, the rebound though fell to Bothroyd but from 2 yards out he slashed a shot side of the far post and the ref turned down consolation appeals for a penalty.

In a fairly frantic final few minutes played in driving rain, with Kuffour on for Pennant and the Brazilian Da Silva replacing Bothroyd and going onto the right wing, Arsenal came close several times to snatching the winner. Barrett almost suprised Harpur with a 20 yarder which must have swerved viciously, but the keeper did well to beat it down and gather, and Ricketts hit a tremendous 25 yard volley off a clearance from a corner which thundered only a couple of feet wide. Da Silva was sent away down the right and his centre picked out Sidwell running in unmarked, but the midfielder sliced a sidefooted shot wide.

The only real chance I can recall Leeds having after their goal came when one of the strikers raced clear onto a long ball. He looked favourite to score but Halls came out of nowhere to make a fantastic saving tackle.

Meanwhile as the game moved towards injury time Arsenal had two late chances to grab a deserved winner. After a corner had been half cleared the ball was knocked forward into the box again, and Galli looked favourite to latch onto the loose ball, but a defender just managed to get in and knock the ball over the bar. Finally, just before the final whistle Barrett flicked on a long ball for Kuffour to run onto. From a tight angle on the right he lifted the ball over the keeper as he charged out and it looked as though he'd scored, but the ball just cleared the bar and landed on the roof of the net.

A pretty enjoyable game though Arsenal should really have won comfortably. After the first half hour or so the young Gunners played very well. Noble again impressed though he didn't run the game in quite the same way as he did against Watford, and Barrett also confirmed what a good player he is, particularly in the 2nd half when he stood out. In the first half though it was Bothroyd who most impressed, with some lovely touches and flicks, and he had a much more consistent game than I've seen from him in the past. He's got enormous potential, just a question of whether he can get his attitude right I reckon. Jerome Thomas also had an impressive game after coming on, with a good touch and some lovely running on the ball. The defence all played quite well, Oates in particular looked solid and assured on the ball. Galli is quite composed bringing the ball out of defence, and Halls also had a solid game. Pennant was a bit disappointing apart from a couple of lovely touches in the first half, though he does tend to stick rigidly to the right hand touchline, so if he's not given the ball there's not much he can do.

Derek

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