FA Youth Cup: U18s Voice Their Delight

The young Foxes mounted a second half comeback to beat their last-eight opponents thanks to strikes from Harvey Barnes and Darnell Johnson.
The triumph saw them become only the second side in the Club’s history to make it into the semi-finals of the competition, with that feat last achieved in 1987.
Midfield pairing Matty Miles and Hamza Choudhury, who controlled proceedings in the middle of the pitch throughout the game, both enjoyed the experience of playing in front of the Blue Army.
Miles said: “It was a great experience playing in front of a lot of fans. We had a good turnout. The game was tough. We shared quite a lot of possession and they made it hard by tucking in in midfield.
“It was hard to find the pockets of space but we got there in the end. We’re absolutely delighted to get through. Hopefully we can put in a good performance in the semi-finals and so we can get into the final.”
Meanwhile, Choudhury told Foxes Player: “The atmosphere was good. A lot of people turned out and made a lot of noise from the stands. I thought that helped the lads. Going 1-0 down isn’t easy in the cup – I thought we dealt with it quite well.
“It was a tough game against a good Birmingham side. They had a game plan which let us play in front of them. Thankfully we broke them down after a last-minute goal from Darnell Johnson. We might have been lucky at times, but it’s a cup game and we’re all delighted to be through to the semi-finals.”
Captain Ben Chilwell was next to stop, explaining that the crowd gave his players a huge lift and were key to their defiant recovery from a one-goal deficit.
“It was an honour to lead the side out,” said Chilwell. “When we came out of the tunnel we saw all the fans – it was nice for everyone to come down and support us. That really helped us get through the game as well.
“It wasn’t like the last few rounds that we’ve had. Against Southampton, that was more of a technical game, but this one was a bit more physical. They tested us when we went 1-0 down as it was the first time we’ve conceded in the competition this year.”
Fellow defender Cedric Kipre, who quashed much of Birmingham’s threat while at the centre of City’s back four, spoke of his elation after the victory.
Kipre said: “We played very well. We put in a good team performance, so I’m very happy. I told him (Darnell Johnson) before the game that he will score and he did, so I’m very happy for him, and very happy for the team.
“We’re delighted to be in the semi-finals now and we will do everything to get to the final.”
And goalscorer Johnson, who nodded in two minutes from time, spoke about the decisive moment that helped his side advance to the last-four of the competition.
“I was over the moon to be honest,” Johnson told Foxes Player. “In the last 10 minutes we needed to get a goal and luckily I got it.
“It was a great atmosphere. A lot of people were there. All the boys were buzzing. At half-time some of the boys were a bit nervous but we all dug in, worked together, persevered and won the game.”