U21 Report: Boston 5-6 Saints
Southampton Under-21s picked up their first win in the National League Cup in dramatic fashion, as they played out an 11-goal thriller against Boston United.
The hosts led 2-0 inside the first seven minutes as Saints suffered a nightmare start, as first Ollie Bostock rifled the ball past Josh McNamara from a narrow angle, before Niall Canavan headed home Ben Hammond’s right-wing cross.
Princewill Ehibatiomhan received a pass from Romeo Akachukwu on the edge of the penalty area and beautifully curled a left-footed shot just inside the far post to reduce the deficit, but Boston instantly restored their two-goal advantage through Ken Aboh’s close-range finish.
Finding themselves 3-1 down with just 16 minutes on the clock, Adam Lallana’s side kept pushing forward.
Sufianu Sillah Dibaga calmly slotted home a defence-splitting pass from Sutura Kakay, before another stunning left-footed strike from Ehibatiomhan levelled things up on the half-hour mark.
Canavan’s second of the night restored the hosts’ lead going into the interval, but Saints took just three minutes of the second half to equalise once more, as Harry Gathercole’s deflected effort made it 4-4.
Saints took the lead for the first time in the match on the hour, as Ehibatiomhan turned provider with a cute pass in behind the defence for Korban McMullan, and Saints even had the luxury of a two-goal advantage when Akachukwu latched on to Joachim Kayi Sanda’s ball over the top 20 minutes from time.
Jack Holmes teed up Jake Rooney to score the 11th and final goal of a crazy game with four minutes to go, but Saints were able to hang on for maximum points on an extraordinary night in Lincolnshire.
Boston United: Faxon, Sachdev, Canavan (Shipley 46'), Grimes (c), Mauro, Holmes, Hammond, Agyemang (Pozo 68'), Bostock (Rooney 46'), Aboh (McBride 77'), John-Lewis (Wheeldon 46').
Unused substitutes: Chadwick, Teale.
Goals: Bostock (5'), Canavan (7', 34'), Aboh (16'), Rooney (86').
Booked: Shipley, Pozo.
Southampton: Trialist, Adjei-Afriyie, Day, Kayi Sanda, Anderson, Kakay (Daley 71'), McMullan (Litle 78'; Charles 85'), Gathercole, Sillah Dibaga, Akachukwu, Ehibhatiomhan.
Unused substitutes: Whittaker, Vallance, Gbajumo, Bailey.
Goals: Ehibhatiomhan (15', 30'), Sillah Dibaga (26'), Gathercole (48'), McMullan (59'), Akachukwu (70').
Booked: Akachukwu.
Referee: Gareth Rhodes.
Attendance: 1,581.
