Ipswich Town Under-18s suffer heartbreak as they are beaten by West Ham United in the FA Youth Cup
Ipswich Town Under-18s suffered late heartbreak in their bid to reach the FA Youth Cup semi-final.
Despite having taken the lead twice during the 90 minutes, two West Ham goals in four minutes of extra-time saw Sam Darlow’s side bow out of the competition.
The Young Blues will reflect on the run to this stage of the competition with great memories, and offer hope for what is to come in the future at Ipswich Town.
After beating both Nottingham Forest and Liverpool in the previous two rounds, a crowd of almost 4,000 were watching on at Portman Road to see if they could repeat the feat for a third time.
"The first team staff and the boss has come in and just spoke to them about how well across the journey they have represented the football club," said Sam Darlow, Under-18s coach.
"For me, knowing them the time I've known them, for the four years we have worked together as a group, I'm immensely proud of them. Every single one of them. Even though some of them couldn't be involved for various different reasons, they've all played their part of where we have got to.
"Whilst it is disappointing it ending in the way that it has, I think we've gone toe-to-toe with them."
The upset looked like it was on once more just six minutes in, as Finley Barbrook rifled a header beyond the visiting goalkeeper.
However, the visitors found their way back into the game in the 38th minute, with Gideon Kodua finding the equaliser.
Ipswich were reduced to 10-men just moments before the scores were made level, in what proved to be a decisive point of the game. Calum Logan was adjudged to have denied a clear goalscoring opportunity, forcing Town to play with 10-men for almost 100 minutes of football.
However, the Young Blues did not let that hold them back, and regained the lead through Nico Valentine's low strike in the 68th minute.
The visitors then made the tie all square just two minutes later through Callum Marshall.
Neither side could find the breakthrough, forcing the Under-18s to go to extra-time once more on their momentous FA Youth Cup run.
With penalties looking like they would be required once more, Ryan Battrum put the visitors in front in the 116th minute before making it 4-2 in added time.
Darlow added: "We spent a large period of the game with 10-men. But it wasn't the fact that we just sat in, but certainly to start with we opened up some opportunities for us to create and try score goals against a very good West Ham side.
"For us to do what we've done, whilst there is a tinge of disappointment, I'm very proud of them and they should be proud of themselves as well.
"Across the 120 minutes I thought we dealt with their problems quite well. I thought we caused them some problems but it was probably that step too far to go as long as we did with 10-men.
