FC Halifax Town’s under 19s progressed to round three of the Youth League Cup after a dramatic 7-6 penalties victory over Hyde United.
The game finished 1-1 in normal time with James Sunderland’s opener being cancelled out by Charlie Nevitt’s late second-half strike before goalkeeper Jack Atkinson, who made three saves in the last round, twice denied Hyde from the spot.
It was Halifax who made the brightest start to the game with top goal-scorer Eliel Anku coming close to opening the scoring. The striker saw a glancing header from Ousman Cham’s cross go just inches over the bar.
Shortly after Jack Knight volleyed over, Town broke through with Sunderland putting the Shaymen in front. The number ten steered one into the bottom corner from the edge of the area for his fourth goal in his last four appearances.
Halifax continued to search for more goals and were only denied by some fantastic goalkeeping from Shoi Foy prior to half-time.
Anku again came close when his powerful effort from inside the area was pushed clear before Liam Healey’s deflected strike produced a fantastic reactionary save.
Town continued to dominate at the start of the second period with Tosin Abioyo forcing Foy into another fine save before Anku was denied for a third time after an attempt from Jos Veitch’s right-side cross.
Hyde began to trouble Town’s goal in the final 20 minutes of the game and almost went had it not been for a superb last-ditch tackle from Jay Benn after Spencer Jenkinson rounded Atkinson.
United levelled proceedings ten minutes before full-time when Charlie Nevitt reacted quickest to fire home an uncleared corner.
The Shaymen came agonisingly close to a late winner in the dying minutes of the game as Sunderland placed one inches wide of the far post before Foy again proved his class with a fine double save to Sunderland and Chikoba.
The match went straight into the shootout and Atkinson, after scoring Halifax’s fifth spot-kick, made a great stop to Hyde’s eighth and final penalty to book his side’s place in round three.
Hyde United: Foy, Churchman, Harry Nevitt, Harte, Jones, Haydock, Maguire, Charlie Nevitt, Gibney, Jenkinson, Aikenhead
Subs: Payne, Pritchard, McGenzie
FC Halifax Town: Atkinson, Abioyo, Glover, Knight, Clayton, Moloney (C), Healey, Anku, Sunderland, Cham, Veitch
Subs: Bulman, Benn, Wade, Chikoba, Gommersal
Also, Halifax’s ECFA side fought to a 4-2 victory over Maltby Academy with Trent Coulter, Mark Adiele, Hakkinen Anani and Oliver Standing all scoring in the win.
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