Bolton Wanderers progress through to the Third Round of the F.A. Youth Cup, after defeating Burton Albion on penalties at the Pirelli Stadium, in a barnstormer of a cup tie.
FIRST HALF
Wanderers had the first chance of the clash, with Callum King-Harmes getting on the end of a Joe White cross, but Brewers goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe was equal to it.
Burton responded through winger Jack Holmes, who hit a low shot that Matthew Alexander dealt with accordingly.
This was followed by a Yewo Nyirenda through ball to Holmes, who fired his shot over the bar.
Brewers full-back Said Idouarab was caught napping on the quarter hour mark, with the ball eventually falling to Wanderers frontman DeMarlio Brown-Sterling.
He turned his man and produced a vicious effort that, had it not been for a deflection off Rueben Lal, would’ve hit the back of the net.
Sonny Graham began to stamp his name on this one soon after, with a superbly weighted through ball to Nathan Whalley ending in a dangerous cross over the face of goal that Brown-Sterling just couldn’t get on the end of.
A one-two between Myles Edmondson and Finlay Lockett saw the former hit the side-netting from some distance.
Graham was at it again with his passing range, switching play over to Whalley again, who volleyed across the face of goal with a Wanderers foot unable to latch onto it.
Wanderers continued to press, as King-Harmes gets past Tom Armitage before finding Lamine Toure, who hit the side-netting with his effort.
Minutes before the end of the first half and Toure released King-Harmes on the edge of the area, but the wide-man’s attempt flew wide.
Jack Holmes continued to be a thorn in Wanderers’ side, as his drove at goal with pace before having a shot deflect wide off D’Neal Richards a minute prior to half-time.
On the stroke of half-time however, Burton took the lead as Yewo Nyirenda fired from inside the 18-yard-box, off the underside of the bar and into the back of the goal.
SECOND HALF
The second period started with a Graham strike from distance three minutes in that didn’t test the ‘keeper.
Just prior to the hour point and Brewers skipper Hewlett drove a low cross looking for Nyirenda, but Richards did well to avert the danger away from goal.
Joe White was sent through from Lockett moments later, but the midfielder’s effort sailed wide of the target.
White nearly had the equaliser with 20 minutes to go, with a menacing free-kick from a wide angle stinging Sharman-Lowe’s gloves on this chilly night in Staffordshire.
But with 12 minutes to go, up stepped D’Neal Richards with a towering header off a Sonny Graham cross to powerfully surge Nicky Spooner’s men back into the tie.
With ten minutes to go, Finlay Lockett tried to work his magic with a curling effort from distance that nestled into Sharman-Lowe’s grasp.
Myles Edmondson tried his luck from a speculative range soon after, but unfortunately for the defender, his shot flew out of the Pirelli Stadium.
With a minute of regular time, Wanderers had a major chance on the counter attack.
Joe White burst away, with numbers either side of him, before releasing King-Harmes who finds Lockett, but the young winger blazes his volley over the bar.
Heading into added time, Burton were awarded a penalty as D’Neal Richards makes a late challenge in the area.
Skipper Hewlett stepped up for the home side, but Matty Alexander saved the penalty well to his left side!
FULL TIME
EXTRA TIME
As the period begun, a big chance again falls to Bolton as a well crafted move from Joe White and Callum King-Harmes found Finlay Lockett in acres of space.
The young midfielder fired a goal, with it looking goal bound, all for a fantastic diving save from Sharman-Lowe.
Wanderers substitute Assarsson goes close soon after, with a bullet like header narrowly missing the target.
Lamine Toure layed off Assarsson for another chance ten minutes into the extra time, but his effort was saved well by Sharman-Lowe.
Whites sub Jay Fitzmartin nearly sends the 275 fans in attendance into rapturous applause with a curling effort into the top corner, only for Brewers stopper Sharman-Lowe to pull out yet another magnificent save.
Burton headed down to ten men before the extra time break, as substitute Matty Richardson was shown a second yellow card.
Midway through the second period of extra time, Joe White had a free header at the far post from a Nathan Whalley cross, but Sharman-Lowe kept his team in it with a fantastic save to his right.
Wanderers couldn’t have got close to equaliser with six minutes to play, as Assarsson hit the post from close range, with the rebound heading into the goalkeeper’s arms.
With minutes to go in this grueller of a Second Round clash, Richards rose high again to a Wanderers corner, but this time his header went wide of the goal.
And with that, the game went to penalties.
It was misses from Tyo Carter and Tom Hewlett and another Matthew Alexander penalty save from Tom Armitage that saw Wanderers go through to the Third Round!