The management team of Academy Director Jordan Clark, B Team Manager Charlie Dunne and Head Coach Simon Ray will lead the U18s in this year’s competition, and named a starting eleven which blended players part of last season’s journey to the second round proper with a number of first-year scholar’s who joined the academy post-16 education and football programme this past summer.
Among the more recognisable faces starting the game were captain Dillon Grass (deputising on the night at centre back), Fin McIntyre and Blaise Weller, plus first year goalkeeper Nathaniel Golan, the quartet all featuring this calendar year within the Wanderers first team set-up.
Fellow second year’s Charlie Lamb (defender) and Rubens Andrade (forward) made their FA Youth Cup debuts in Monday’s match, alongside scholars Noah Harris (defender), Beau Reive (central midfielder), Deniel Ando, Ishmael Douglas-Warner (wingers) and Jayden Taylor (forward).
Played on the main pitch at Walton’s Xcel Sports Hub, the contest began at a high-tempo which rarely dropped off through the course of the evening, both sides committing to getting forward and playing on the attack.
The hosts threatened very early on with a header over the bar from close range before the No10 spurned an excellent opportunity driving a strike high and wide after the ball arrived in space at the edge of the box.
Douglas-Warner was quickly finding his rhythm down the left and becoming the key attacking figure for Wanderers during the opening forty-five, and after going close with a cross/shot flying wide and a deflected effort saved by the keeper, the tricky winger won a penalty at the mid-way point of the half after being brought down with a scissor tackle inside the box.
Skipper Grass took the responsibility with the spot kick, firing the ball confidently into the left side of goal beyond the reach of the keeper.
Forward’s Andrade and Taylor both went close with respective opportunities in the run up to half-time before combining briliantly to put Wanderers two goals up at the break; a long ball forward by McIntyre deftly nodded on by Andrade into the path of Taylor, who after taking an initial touch fired a clinical strike beyond the Walton keeper, beating him at his post.
Shortly after the restart Weller wasted a chance not dissimilar to Walton’s early attempt in space at the edge of the box following a cut-back from Andrade, but as the second half progressed it was the home side who managed to carve out more chances, pushing hard to get back into the contest.
Deniel Ando was awarded the Station View Garage Player of The Match for an industrious display through the course of the evening – typified in the second half with two outstanding blocks in front of goal around the hour mark.
The home side would rattle the cross bar and force Golan into a couple of awkward moments handling the ball inside the six-yard box, the Wanderers goalkeeper then producing an inspired save to deny a chance from a tight angle from the left side of area.
Ultimately weathering the increasing second half pressure, Wanderers held out to maintain a clean sheet and book their place in the second qualifying round – the draw will be confirmed on Friday September 18th, with ties expected to take place in the week commencing Monday September 28th.
Wanderers: Golan; Lamb (Abbott 50′), Grass (c), Harris; Ando, McIntyre, Reive, Weller (Costa 90′), Douglas-Warner (Goulbourne 70′); Andrade (Langley 62′), Taylor (Bines 74′)
Unused Subs: Grant, Marshall
Goals: Grass 24′, Taylor 45′
Station View Garage POTM: Deniel Ando
Fixture played Monday September 14th at the Xcel Sports Hub, Walton-on-Thames, 7:45pm KO. Attendance unconfirmed.