After we’d led through Phoenix Offiah’s first-half penalty, hosts Fulham turned the match around via a hat-trick from Kayden Sessegnon, but we mounted a superb charge to regain control and push on to taste glory in the West London sunshine.
Courtney Coffi-Smith and Harry Hughes sent the game to extra time and after Olabanji Odumosu’s dismissal for a second bookable offence, late strikes from substitutes Melvyn Kabongolo and Ashiah Haughton-Sinclair secured a 5-3 triumph.
With many of the players having also tasted success in the JSSL Singapore 7s tournament recently, coach Tom was thrilled to see his young charges pass another big test in front of nearly 1,700 fans on a high-profile stage across the capital.
“Everyone is delighted for the boys,” he smiled. “We had to work really hard – Fulham were very good in the first half in particular and we found it difficult at times. Perhaps there were some nerves because of the occasion and we were quite frustrated in the first period, we came out okay after half-time but then gifted them a third and at 3-1 down we were thinking it might not be our day.
“But the lads got better and better, our subs improved us and had a big impact when they came on, the timing of Blake’s goal to make it 3-2 was crucial and at that stage, the momentum was in our favour and we went and got the third. Going into the latter stages and into extra time, we looked more likely to win it, Fulham then had a sending-off and we were able to score a really good goal to take the lead and then got a fifth. Fulham are a really good team, they made it very difficult for us but our subs made a big impact and it’s a really pleasing moment – it makes it really sweet to win in that fashion after coming back from 3-1 down, so we’re all thrilled for the boys.”
Offiah, one of a handful of Under-16s players to have tasted game time in the Under-18 Premier League this term, drilled in from the spot to give us the lead after Coffi-Smith was brought down, but Sessegnon – nephew of our former player Ryan Sessegnon – netted twice following attacks down the right to give the Cottagers a 2-1 lead at the break, before completing his hat-trick shortly after the restart after we gave the ball away at the back.
Philogene curled home a beauty from distance to get us back in it before Offiah poked through for the hard-working Hughes to turn home the equaliser. With both sides pushing to win it, nobody was able to find another goal in regulation time so extra time ensued, but Fulham’s task was made harder four minutes in when Odumosu was sent off. With tired legs on both sides, we fashioned a superb move down the left just a few minutes from the end, Kabongolo arriving at the back post to smash home and give us the lead once more. Haughton-Sinclair then made sure in stoppage time to wrap up a memorable day.
The victory continued our Academy’s recent success in Premier League Cups, having won the Under-17 version last season and the Under-17 and Under-18 double in 2022/23.