Young CHeltenham Town soundly beaten at Leicester City
Cheltenham Town were soundly beaten Leicester City in the FA Youth Cup third round tie at the King Power Stadium.
But the young Robins can be very proud of their performance here and throughout the campaign in which they plundered 39 goals in six matches en route to this impressive arena.
In the end, they were simply outclassed by the Foxes who were in control from start to finish.
It was a stern test for Jamie Victory’s crop of talented youngsters against the rising stars of the current Premier League leaders, who defeated champions Chelsea here only 48 hours ago.
Their victory was inspired by Layton Ndukwu and Admiral Muskie, who scored two apiece, and a late goal by captain Darnell Johnson.
All three goalscorers are current England under-17 internationals to underline the scale of the task they faced.
The home team should have been in front in the opening minutes, wasting two good chances before making the breakthrough in the eight minute through Ndukwu. The impressive attacker picked up the ball on the left, cut inside Jordan Lymn and slotted home from 14 yards.
They doubled their advantage with 22 minutes on the clock, Muskwe meeting Ndukwe’s delivery from the left with a looping header.
The pair were formidable opponents and caused plenty of problems for the Robins’ back four throughout the evening.
Cheltenham settled down and began to move the ball about around the half-hour mark and had their moments in attack.
Cameron Pring’s incisive run was rewarded with a corner, which the goalkeeper fumbled while Luke Thomas shot wide. Later Jordan Lymn saw a deflected straight at the Leicester number one.
But the Foxes made it three eight minutes before the interval made Ndukwe beat Bojan Tetek with a measured finish from the edge of the box.
Cheltenham were much more positive after the restart and there was an early chance for Karnell Chambers, but the left winger miscued his effort from eight yards.
Muskwe added his second of the evening, arguably the best of the lot with a fine finish from 25 yards into the top left-hand corner.
Skipper Johnson added the fifth, arriving at the far post to head home Kieran Dewsbury-Hall’s cross from the right.
Josh Eppiah headed against a bar a moment later.
Cheltenham though persevered and earned a couple of free-kicks in promising positions, but on both occasions the defensive wall did its job.
There was a late chance for substitute Joe Hance who rose to meet Lymn's centre, but Max Bramley held it.
LEICESTER CITY (4-2-3-1): Bramley; Percival, Knight, Johnson (c), Kelly; Fura, Dewsbury-Hall (Webber 63); Eppiah (Templeton 76), Muskie, Ndukwe (Choudhury 55); Mitchell. Subs not used: Pascnu, Yates, Webber.
CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-2-3-1): Tetek; Lymn, Cordell, Bower, Pring; Mendes (Nutting 82), McCarthy (Thomas 82); Thomas, Thompson (c), Chambers (Hance 70); Dinsmore. Subs not used: Clayton, Thomas, Nutting, Elliott.
REFEREE: M Jones
ATTENDANCE: tbc