By Adam McGroarty, member of The FA Young Reporters' Club. "I'm a multimedia journalism student at Bournemouth University, where I started in September 2018. I produce radio shows and articles at uni, but the FA Young Reporters’ Club gives me a platform to apply my skills to a wider audience in matchday situations".
The FA Youth Cup is a competition taken with great levels of seriousness and competitiveness in the youth academy setup.
Aston Villa’s academy has been home to Gary Cahill, Gareth Barry and Marc Albrighton, as well as fan-favourite Gabby Agbonglahor. Although AFC Bournemouth’s academy hasn’t had the same levels of success just yet, the likes of Sam Vokes and Danny Ings have gone on to have successful Premier League careers elsewhere.
This fifth round fixture was just the second time AFC Bournemouth have reached this stage of the FA Youth Cup, having achieved this with victories over Mansfield Town and Oxford United.
As for Villa, Jacob Ramsey and Tyreik Wright made their return, with the pair heavily contributing to the club’s eight goals in the competition this season. Jacob Ramsey came into this game on deadly form, scoring a brace in every stage of the Youth Cup so far.
It was the forward who was involved in the action early on with a crunching challenge on AFC Bournemouth’s Christian Saydee. The referee, Jack Packman, didn’t hesitate when presenting the red card to the devastated Ramsey. An early rash challenge meant Villa lost their star man in just the third minute with Connor Kurran-Browne replacing Saydee, who left the action on a stretcher.
Aston Villa were showing little signs of having the fewer players early on. Jake Walker danced through two challenges to have a shot at goal, but his low-hit effort was just wide of the post.
And it was the home side that started to create more chances after the half-hour mark. Tom Hanfrey’s corner curled over the heads of the players in the box and looked destined for the top corner, but the ball landed on the roof of the net. Viljami Sinisalo easily could have been caught by surprise.
The Finnish goalkeeper then made a diving save to deny Jake Cope just before half time. The midfielder’s effort from outside the area looked destined for the top corner, but Sinisalo ensured that Villa went into the break on level terms.
However, it only took AFC Bournemouth eight minutes of the second half to find a breakthrough. Brennan Bertrand, brother to Ryan, delivered a perfect cross onto the head of Jake Scrimshaw who looped the ball over the helpless Sinisalo and into the back of the net.
The striker then had a perfect chance to double Bournemouth’s advantage with almost exactly the same chance. Scrimshaw connected well with the ball but his header drifted just wide of the post, with Hanfrey unable to make a connection after arriving late at the back post.
But it wasn’t until additional time when Scrimshaw had another chance as he was sent through by substitute Luke Pardoe. The Englishman took his time before converting from the edge of the area to secure his brace and put Bournemouth into the sixth round. Scrimshaw had his 37th goal of the season and his sixth in this competition.
