U18s Report: Southampton 0 Leicester City 2

It was City’s first away trip of the competition after two consecutive home ties. The young Foxes first beat Wigan in the third round before defeating Chesterfield at the next stage – both 1-0 victories at King Power Stadium. 

Southampton, meanwhile, dispatched both West Ham United and Everton to make it into the fifth round, and were a side that Leicester knew well having faced them twice in the Barclays U18 Premier League already this season. 

With a place in the last-eight up for grabs, City had to defend resiliently in the opening stages. Captain Ben Chilwell first cleared Marcus Barnes’ low effort off the line before Callum Slattery hit Max Smith-Varnham’s post from close range. 

It was Ndukwu’s turn to strike the upright on eight minutes. The England Under-17s international cut in from the right wing and hammered a left-footed effort onto Harry Isted’s post. 

But the young Foxes didn’t have to wait long for their goal. Ollie Cook could only half-clear Chilwell’s cross, and the loose ball fell to King. The striker, who scored the winner against Chesterfield in the previous round, took a touch to set himself before calmly slotting in at the far post with just nine minutes gone. 

A chance to make it 2-0 fell to Chilwell on 21 minutes. Matty Miles curled a pin-point corner into the City skipper, who nodded the midfielder’s delivery onto the roof of the net. 

Harvey Barnes went close on the half-hour mark, drilling one from range that had Isted mildly concerned, but it was Ndukwu who would score City’s second goal 10 minutes before the break. 

A neat string of Leicester passes saw Barnes find space on the left, and the No.10 slipped in Ndukwu on the corner of the Southampton box. Ndukwu turned his man, took a touch and produced a powerful strike to beat Isted and double his side’s lead. 

Moore was on hand to block Harley Willard’s low, 20-yard drive just before half-time as Southampton looked for a route back into the game, but they couldn’t find one, and the young Foxes carried their 2-0 advantage into the break. 

A well-worked corner from City seven minutes into the second period saw Moore head Brandon Fox’s corner back across goal, but no one was there to meet the ball, and the chance to make it 3-0 went begging. 

Barnes then latched onto goal scorer King’s through-ball, and after rounding one defender, the talented midfielder fired into the side netting from a tight angle. 

Miles tried one from range just after the hour mark as only Ollie Cook’s last-ditch tackle stood in the way of a third goal for City – King carving out the chance after earlier pouncing on a loose pass. 

Defensive solidarity from the young Foxes forced the hosts into shooting from range as defender Will Wood hit one from 45-yards that failed to trouble Smith-Varnham. 

At the other end, Fox’s corner on 70 minutes caused mayhem in the Saints’ penalty area as strikes from King, Cedric Kipre and Chilwell were all turned wide as City pressed for another goal. 

Smith-Varnham had to be alert to substitute Dan Demkiv’s fine shot on 74 minutes, tipping the forward’s shot onto the bar to keep Leicester’s clean sheet intact.

King then collected a loose ball and raced in on goal, only to be denied by the legs of Isted from a one-on-one situation. 

The hosts piled on the pressure in the last 10 minutes, with captain Armani Little going closest with a drive from range that whistled just past the City post. 

But the hard-working Foxes were defiant and their professional defensive display halted an impressive Southampton frontline to secure a place in the last-eight. 

The victory means City play Birmingham in the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup at King Power Stadium – a ground which they are yet to lose at this campaign. 

SOUTHAMPTON: Isted, Mason, Clinton (Debayo 14), Cook, Wood, Jones (Olomola 84), Little (c), Slattery, Willard (Demkiv 60), Sims, Barnes 

SUBS NOT USED: Hallett, Lea 

CITY: Smith-Varnham, Johnson, Chilwell (c), Choudhury, Moore, Kipre, Ndukwu (Bailey 88), Miles, King, Barnes, Fox 

SUBS NOT USED: Knight, Bramley, Fura, Muskwe 

GOALS: King 9, Ndukwu 35 

REFEREE: Craig Hicks