Chasetown’s young guns overcame last season’s main League rivals Newcastle Town in the FA Youth Cup Preliminary Round with a 3-1 success.
The Scholars won an early corner on the left with Matthew Hardiman’s follow-up cross headed clear, before Jed Davies set up Jordan Archer who headed across goal to force a fine save from Castle keeper Gary Price.
Chasetown looked the stronger side by some margin in the early part of the tie, Price pushing Oliver James’s effort over the bar on 13 minutes while Newcastle’s only major chance came via a free kick out on the left which was cleared by the lively Archer.
further free kick for the men in yellow saw Zac Finn’s follow-up shot blocked and the stalemate continued despite the visitors beginning to rally, a tamely-struck Finn shot from the right going wide to end the half.
Newcastle had a great chance to take the lead seven minutes into the second half when Jonathan Huqes broke clear down the left but his shot rattled into the side netting, and the play immediately moved to the other end where Davies broke through the defence and rifled the Scholars into the lead.
Oliver Hayward could have made it two a minute later with a similar shot which Price spilled, but the Castle keeper was able to gather at the second attempt with James Lunn closing in.
Hayward went close again with a low shot on 68 minutes but his effort went wide of the far post, before out of nowhere the visitors equalised on 78 minutes when Jordan Cole fired across the closing Dominic Hill in the Chasetown goal from a tight angle.
Straight from the kick-off substitute Samson Alalade burst forward and though his run was halted by keeper Price, Connor Leek was on hand to gather the loose ball and fire the Scholars back into the lead.
Four minutes later and it was three for the home side when a cross from Lunn on the right found Alalade in position to calmly tap home.
In stoppage time Castle had a chance to pull one back but Tom Quinn’s free kick went high over Hill’s bar and the Scholars made their way into the next round.
Chasetown: Hill, Duffield, Hardiman, McCormack, Skelton, James, Lunn, Davies, Archer, Hayward, Leek. Subs: Mills, Turner, Alalade (Archer 73), Hatfield (Leek 83), Hayles.
Newcastle: Price, Blakemore, Bell, Byrne, Seymour, Flattley, Gordon, Batkin, Cole, Huqes, Finn. Subs: Matthews (Finn 60), Quinn (Seymour 70), Probert.
