[Archived] News Article -> 2011/12 FA Youth Cup: Rovers Youth 8 Thurrock FC Youth 0

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FA Youth Cup 3rd Round

Rovers Youth(3) 8 – 0 (0)Thurrock FC Youth

Edwards 5, Osawe 20, 67,

O'Connell 45 + 1, Haley 49, 50,

Light (og) 89, Humphreys 90 + 2

Referee: A. Halliday Attendance: 395

A crowd of just under 400 gathered at Ewood Park on a bitterly cold Monday evening to witness this Third Round F.A. Youth Cup tie against Thurrock FC Youth. The visitors, whose senior team are presently bottom of the Blue Square Bet Southern League, have been enjoying a very successful season in the Eastern Junior Alliance League — Essex North Section. At present, Thurrock proudly sit on top of the league with a record of six wins and just one defeat from their seven league games. They have scored an impressive 35 goals, while their defence has conceded just four goals. Nor have they been wanting in front of goal in the F.A. Youth Cup. Thurrock entered the competition at the Preliminary Round stage and thus far had won six games, in which they had scored twenty goals and conceded just two goals, on their journey to the third round.

However, on a night when the wind and hail blew an icy blast of winter across Ewood Park, the youngsters from Thurrock succumbed to a powerful display of attacking football from the Rovers. The visitors worked hard but tired in the difficult conditions and were eventually buried under an avalanche of second-half goals.

The Rovers made the perfect start when Ryan Edwards rose majestically on the back post to head home Will Beesley's free-kick after just five minutes. Young Will is the grandson of Walter Joyce, a former Burnley and Rovers full-back, who some of us remember watching in the early/mid 1960s!

Despite having a goal ruled out for offside, the sustained pressure from the Ewood youngsters brought a second goal after 20 minutes. Osayamen Osawe was the Rover on target following good work by Curtis Haley. The Rovers might well have increased their lead a minute or so later when Haley was brought down in the area, but unfortunately Jack O'Connell blazed his spot-kick over the bar.

The Rovers continued to dominate the first half with Matthew Urwin having very little to do in the Rovers goal. As the game moved into first-half injury time, the Rovers grabbed a third goal when a short corner was turned into the centre by Peter Wylie and O'Connell swivelled and fired home, possibly with the aid of a deflection, from about six yards.

Thurrock had worked hard during the first half and, at times, had produced some neat and tidy football without ever really carrying a goal threat. The Rovers, who at present are fourth in the league some five points behind leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers, looked comfortable throughout and were far superior in every department during the opening forty-five minutes.

The Rovers began the second half in sparkling fashion with Curtis Haley grabbing two goals in less than a minute. The half was barely four minutes old when Haley fastened on to a ball from Antonie Boland before slotting it home. Within fifty seconds the Rovers centre-forward was on the scoresheet again when he combined well with John O'Sullivan before putting the finishing touch to a fifth goal for the Rovers.

Haley might well have grabbed a hat-trick on 67 minutes as he raced through on goal but he unselfishly squared the ball for Osawe to dash in and slot home his second goal of the night.

With a six-goal lead, both sides made substitutions and for a while the Rovers' passing, understandably, became a little sloppy as the visitors tired and offered little in the way of resistance.

In the 89th minute Danny Laverty sent over a cross towards the far post where George Light and Ryan Humphreys were both waiting and the Thurrock man could only turn the ball into his own net with Humphreys about to pounce. However, as the game moved into injury time, Humphreys grabbed an eighth goal for the Rovers when he headed home a cross from Laverty from close range.

It proved a wonderful night's entertainment for those fans who had braved the wintry weather and the Rovers now wait to see who they will meet in the Fourth Round.

Teams

Blackburn Rovers Youth

Matthew Urwin; Adam Henley, Ryan Edwards, Jack O'Connell, Will Beesley (Bradley Mason-Ware 74); Hugo Fernandez Molina, Peter Wylie, Antonie Boland (Danny Laverty 84), John O'Sullivan, Osayamen Osawe; Curtis Haley (Ryan Humphreys 84)

Subs not used: Harry Campbell (gk), Kellen Daly

Coach: Terry McPhillips

Thurrock FC Youth

Shane Scanlon; George Light, Jack Maleary (Adam Johnson 74), Frank Griffin, Luke Foster; James Smith, Robert Clark (Charlie Desmond 55), Jake Woodward, Davidson Tejaiye (Ross Woolward 65); Kieran Walsh; Daniel Okah

Subs not used: Liam Gibbons (gk), Kane Larkham

Coach: Stuart Marshall

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