Youngsters suffer extra-time defeat in FA Youth Cup

Our Under-18s were made to pay for a host of missed chances as Queens Park Rangers came from a goal down to win 3-1 in extra time in the FA Youth Cup on Tuesday night.

We produced some excellent attacking football for much of the 90 minutes at Stevenage's Lamex Stadium, hitting the woodwork and going close on multiple occasions, and deservedly led going into the last couple of minutes through Rio Kyerematen's goal shortly after the hour mark.

At the other end, goalkeeper Luca Gunter put on an outstanding individual display against his former club with a string of fine saves as QPR tested our resolve, but all of his hard work was undone when Teddy Lawrence scrambled home an 88th-minute equaliser to send the third round tie to extra time, with Kieran Petrie and Lawrence giving the visitors the win during the additional period.

By the end, both sides had hit the frame of the goal three times and seen countless other chances go to waste and, when we look back, it's those missed opportunities that ultimately cost us a place in the fourth round.

Rangers had a couple of early chances, Lorent Talla clipping the crossbar direct from a corner and Rayan Kolli denied by the recovering Gunter, but by the 15-minute mark, we were cutting through the visitors' defence at will and created numerous opportunities without being able to force a breakthrough. The impressive Tyrese Hall and Kyerematen hit the bar and post respectively within seconds of each other mid-way through the first half, but QPR responded with some attempts of their own and worked the goalkeeper more in the lead-up to half-time through shots from Shannon Brown, Petrie, Samuel Sackey and Petrie again - all well stopped by Gunter.

In amongst all that, Hall was denied by a good block in the QPR box by defender Noah McCann, who then produced further heroics to somehow block Jamie Donley's shot on the goal line seven minutes after half-time. Causing Rangers problems with the ball at his feet, Donley then twisted and turned his way into the box, but fired a right-footed shot against the crossbar, before our pressure finally told in the 62nd minute. Kyerematen sent Damola Ajayi away down the right, his low delivery was repelled by goalkeeper Harry Cant back to Kyerematen and he took a touch before firing home through a crowded area, Cant getting his hands to the ball but unable to keep it out.

More openings slipped away from us while Gunter brilliantly denied Kolli twice at the other end, centre-back Alfie Dorrington also standing firm to repel most of QPR's advances. With time running out, we looked set to see out the game, until Lawrence wriggled free in behind our defence and slid home from close range with less than two minutes to go, sparking wild celebrations among the QPR contingent. And it didn't end there, as Kolli crashed a stoppage-time shot against the crossbar in an attempt to complete a dramatic late turnaround.

We regrouped as the tie went to extra time, although it had become very open and end-to-end by that stage. Lawrence's curling shot from distance crashed off the far post, Under-16s striker Ellis Lehane - on for his Under-18s debut - prodded wide for us while Rangers substitute Alfie Tuck forced another save from Gunter, before Donley had an effort ruled out following an early off-side flag against Kyerematen.

As we got deeper into the game, it was QPR who were creating more clear-cut chances and after Gunter superbly thwarted Talla twice, they took the lead in the 108th minute when Tuck's cross from the left was scrambled home at the back post by the arriving Petrie. We still had time to get back into it and tried everything to do so, but Rangers made sure two minutes from the end when Lawrence ran onto a long ball forward and slotted past Gunter one-on-one.

Highlights on SPURSPLAY

Match data

Goals: Spurs - Kyerematen 62; QPR - Lawrence 88, 118, Petrie 108.

Yellow cards: Spurs - Dorrington 82, Hall 90+1; QPR - Talla 41.

Referee: M Butcher.

Venue: Lamex Stadium, Stevenage.

Weather: Partly cloudy, six degrees.

Attendance: 505.