Barradell Praises 'Real Quality' In FA Youth Cup Win
- Leicester City’s Under-18s win 5-1 at AFC Bournemouth in FA Youth Cup
- Goals from Will Alves, Chris Popov, Sammy Braybrooke and Brandon Cover (2) seal the result
- Coach Adam Barradell felt the team's collective quality shone through
- The Young Foxes set up a quarter-final tie at Manchester United or Everton
The fifth round tie was in the balance for the opening 30 minutes, before a magical turn and finish by Will Alves set the young Foxes on their way to victory, a lead soon doubled after Chris Popov's predatory finish.
Lewis Brown had brought the Cherries back into the contest with a well-taken lob shortly after the restart, only for captain Sammy Braybrooke to score a crisp volley to regain the Foxes' two-goal advantage.
Two late strikes from substitute Brandon Cover then built on the scoreline as City confirmed their place in the quarter-finals of the competition.
"We're delighted with that performance, and the way at times we controlled the game," City’s coach reflected to LCFC.com following the match. "Ultimately, the FA Youth Cup's about getting through and we're delighted to get through to the quarter-final with a 5-1 win.
"Getting two goals in the first half, the first goal is always important in these ties. Going in at half-time, it was about playing positively and establishing control in the second half. Unfortunately we conceded, I thought Bournemouth came out in the second half with great intensity and that caused us problems early on.
"They were chasing the game and then, when it goes to 3-1, I thought the boys finished off the night with some real quality.
"We've got some outstanding individuals, but collectively as a group they've also got some real good quality. The mentality of the group's fantastic, the way they work daily is a real credit to the players and the staff.
"We're disappointed to concede, we pride ourselves on clean sheets and they're important for us. Especially early on, Bournemouth had some chances and had quite a lot of penalty box entries - more than we would like.
"Ultimately, some of the defending was good and, when we needed to be strong and resolute, we were."
The win on the south coast means City will take on either Manchester United or Everton away from home in the last eight of the FA Youth Cup.
Barradell says he appreciates the opportunity the extended run in the competition gives to his young players, with a trip away set to aid their progression further.
"Currently in the FA Youth Cup run we've played at Villa Park, we've played here at Vitality Stadium, in the next round we'll play again away," explained the coach. "It's all great development and great experience for the boys and the staff.
"They're all exciting fixtures, exciting games. We'll prepare as we always do, we'll continue to work to the process and continue to develop the lads the way we're doing currently."