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MATCH REPORT: Southampton U21 (NL Cup)

A youthful Aldershot Town configuration played out an exciting 3-3 draw with Southampton U21s on Tuesday evening, in a National League Cup cup tie that saw the Saints leave the happier of the two after emerging victorious in a penalty shoot-out. Toby Nelson’s assured strike came either side of a Hady Ghandour brace, while Moses Cesay, Baylee Dipepa and William Merry scored for the visitors.

Alan Dowson named an unsurprisingly heavily changed eleven, with a mix of youth and experience lining up against the Premier League 2 side.

The Saints would take an early lead through midfielder Moses Sesay, who reacted quickest to a half-clearance from Aston Daley’s long free-kick.

Hady Ghandour would receive the first big chance of a home persuasion, after James Clarridge’s ball over the top found the forward in behind the visitors’ back line. Ghandour took one touch to infiltrate the penalty area, before firing a shot straight at Dylan Moody, who parried for a corner. He wouldn’t need to wait long to redeem himself, however, as the resulting corner hit multiple bodies in the box, before being fired into the roof of the net by the number 23 to level things up in the eighth minute.

The Saints regained the lead shortly after the 20-minute mark after a breakaway found Sesay in with a shooting chance once more. Having rounded Pat Nash, the England U18 man looked to have secured his brace, though a terrific goal-line clearance from Joe Lewis-Evans stopped the eventual effort. Unfortunately, this only found the path of fellow youth international Baylee Dipepa, who volleyed home from close range for 2-1.

The loudest cheer of the first-half came as no surprise, as academy product Toby Nelson got himself on the scoresheet just after the 40-minute mark, confidently firing in the rebound of another Ghandour shot on target. The strike marked Nelson’s second of the season in Shots colours, after scoring previously in the Hampshire cup.

HALF-TIME

The second-half started with the Shots in control, characterised by a procession of corners. While the young Saints stood aerially strong throughout, they almost found themselves behind after a headed clearance found Toby Nelson on the edge of the box, with the 19-year-old unleashing a ferocious half-volley that looked destined for Moody’s top-right corner if not for the rescue of a deflection.

The development side would have their own period of control, however, eventually taking the lead through William Merry. Dipepa drove down the left before firing an ambitious shot from a tight angle that forced a diving punch from Pat Nash that fell into the path of Merry, who poked a bouncing effort into an empty net for 3-2.

The hosts almost equalised through the service of substitute Hayden Vaughan, who raced down the left before planting a cross directly onto the forehead of Hady Ghandour. The forward leapt well and connected perfectly, but just didn’t have the direction to send it within the left-hand post.

The Shots continued to search for a leveller, coming close through a long range strike from the left foot of James Martin, saved by the fingertips of Dylan Moody. They would eventually make the affair three-a-piece, with Hady Ghandour finding the back of the net once again. Maddox McMillan and Matt Penney linked up well before the former poked it through to Ghandour in the box, with the forward firing on the swivel with his back to goal, finding the bottom right corner superbly.

With neither side finding a decisive goal, not for the want of trying, honours were technically even upon the full time whistle, though as per competition rules, a penalty shootout would be contested for the award of an extra point, with Southampton eventually coming out on top.

  • Aldershot penalty scored (Hady Ghandour)
  • Southampton penalty scored (William Merry)
  • Aldershot penalty missed (Maxwell Mullins)
  • Southampton penalty scored (Aston Daley)
  • Aldershot penalty scored (Toby Nelson)
  • Southampton penalty scored (Tommy Dobson-Ventura)
  • Aldershot penalty missed (Matt Penney)
  • Southampton penalty (Walter Nutter)

Attendance: 371

Shots lineup: 16. Pat Nash, 5. Ben Jackson, 12. Keane Anderson (51. James Martin 69′), 14. Cairan Gilligan (20. Haydon Vaughan 46′), 18. Kiban Rai (29. Charlie Sell 82′), 23. Hady Ghandour, 24. Maxwell Mullins, 26. Joe Lewis-Evans (42. Matt Penney 46′), 27. Toby Nelson, 30. Tristan Abrahams (50. Maddox McMillan 69′), 32. James Clarridge.

Subs not used: 1. Marcus Dewhurst, 56. Mark Holley.

Southampton lineup: 1. Dylan Moody, 3. Max Fry, 4. Jayden Moore (20. Jake Vallance 80′), 5. Tommy Dobson-Ventura, 6. Abdulhalim Okunola, 8. Moses Sesay (28. Rory Whittaker 46′), 9. Baylee Dipepa (17. Harry Gathercole 65′), 12. Walter Nutter, 18. Aston Daley, 21. William Merry, 22. Cameron Bragg.

Subs not used: 13. Hugo Fisher, 19. Barnaby Williams, 25. Tinotenda Goremusandu.