Under-18s suffer defeat at Norwich

A header from Norwich City skipper Brad Hills 12 minutes from time consigned our Under-18s to a 3-2 defeat at the Canaries’ Lotus Training Centre on Saturday.

Having led early on through Tom Bloxham, we went in at half-time 2-1 down after goals from Joe Duffy and Ken Aboh, but drew level mid-way through the second period via Rio Kyerematen.

However, Hills had the final say with a glancing header to scoop maximum points for the Under-18 Premier League’s basement side.

In our second meeting with Norwich in just over a fortnight, Alfie Dorrington nodded just wide from Dante Cassanova’s early free-kick before we took the lead on 14 minutes when Jaden Williams latched onto a scuffed clearance from goalkeeper David Aziaya and teed up Bloxham, who cut inside from the left and picked out the far corner for his first goal since January.

Sam Amo-Ameyaw subsequently sent an effort just over the bar but our advantage lasted only seven minutes as Duffy robbed Will Andiyapan in our right-back area, advanced towards the box and curled audaciously into the net from distance. Norwich threatened again, Aboh steering the ball home, only to be denied by the off-side flag, while Alex Matos had an effort well blocked by Aaron Maguire before Aboh gave the Canaries the upper hand in the second minute of first-half stoppage time when he latched onto a long ball across from the right, dribbled inside and finished low into the net.

Both teams created more opportunities after the break as Matos was denied by the legs of Maguire and substitute Max McKnight curled over the bar, but it was Kyerematen who struck next as Cassanova burst into the box and squared for Williams, who set up the midfielder to sweep home on 66 minutes.

McKnight later fired wide on the counter-attack for us but shortly afterwards, Norwich restored their lead when Finley Welch’s lofted ball into the box in the wake of an initially-cleared free-kick was nodded down into the bottom right corner by Hills.

A late coming-together involving both sets of players resulted in a flurry of yellow cards being handed out, but ultimately we were unable to get back into the game and the hosts took the victory.