Muslika on target again as Under-18s claim first win

Second-half goals from Jamel Beggs and Armend Muslika gave our Under-18s their first win of the season at Norwich City on Saturday.

After an end-to-end first 45 minutes, we made an impact on the restart, Beggs firing home after Miracle Adewole’s angled drive was saved before Muslika made it two goals in as many games with a fine strike from outside the box in the 53rd minute.

That’s how it stayed, with the Canaries kept largely at bay for the remainder of the game as goalkeeper Dylan Thompson enjoyed a clean sheet on his return to his former club.

The home side arguably had their best spell in the opening stages at their Avant Training Centre, Finley Corke hitting the base of the post with merely seconds gone before Ajay Tavares forced our captain Elijah Upson into the first of a number of key blocks during the first period.

Muslika and Oliver Boast were fractionally off-target for us before Thompson produced a flying save to keep out Finlay Oligbo’s top corner-bound free-kick for Norwich. Boast and Adewole subsequently tested Luis Lines as we began to threaten before we found the breakthrough four minutes into the second half, Beggs following in after Adewole’s effort from the right side was repelled by the goalkeeper.

Adewole was finding space on that flank and was involved in our second goal four minutes later, teeing up Muslika who turned onto his left foot and crashed a low shot home from 20 yards out.

All four of our substitutes – three of whom were Under-16s players – had a positive impact as the game went on with one of them, forward Frankie Day, swiping a first-time shot just wide from Adewole’s delivery and another in debutant Toju Wellspring firing over the bar from distance after producing some tidy play on numerous occasions. Norwich did manage to threaten a couple of times in the last few minutes, but Reuben Cooper flashed a shot just off-target in their best opportunity five minutes from time.

‘We controlled the majority of the game’

Interim Under-18s Coach Joe Staunton was pleased with his side’s display, telling us afterwards: “It was a good performance and we were really pleased with the manner in which the boys approached the game, both with and without the ball. We controlled the majority of the game and in periods where we had to defend, we looked comfortable with our defending, so it was a pleasing and deserving victory at the end of the day.

“In the first half we had our fair share of the ball and one of the messages at half-time was to keep that same attitude with the ball and to try and play with a little bit more purpose. I think the goals opened up the game and we were then able to sustain possession to see out the win.”