FA Youth Cup third round: Hertford Town 3-4 Arsenal U18s

Adam Birchall's Young Guns edged past battling Hertford Town in a seven goal thriller on a chilly night at Hertingfordbury Park despite Jack Porter being handed a red card after the final whistle for excessive celebrations. 

Two goals and an assist from Arsenal No10 Dan Casey helped steer the visitors into the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup after an enthralling clash against Hertford Town.

An early opener by Andre Harriman-Annous was cancelled out by the home side’s Archie O’Brien, before two goals in two minutes prior to the interval from Casey, and Louie Copley put the North Londoners in a dominant position.

Yet Hertford refused to be bowed, and pulled at goal back for 3-2 via Finley Lynch’s penalty, before Casey made it 4-2. And despite substitute Nathan Devshi’s late strike to make it 4-3 and set up a grandstand finish, Arsenal held on for a hard-fought victory against their laudable hosts.

Adam Birchall’s gilded young guns paid a visit to evocative Hertingfordbury Park on a chilly Tuesday evening to contest their third round FA Youth Cup tie with Hertford Town.

The home side, which included highly-rated young attackers Finley Lynch and Riley Carr had displayed their quality, not to mention battling qualities to reach this stage of the prestigious national competition.

Coach Ben Herd’s Hertford eased past Bristol Rovers 4-3 in the previous round, having already beaten Cambridge United to set up the sold-out tie in deepest Hertfordshire.

With more than 1,000 tickets snapped up, in a capacity of 1,300, with normal attendances hovering around the 200 mark, interest was high.

Seven times winners Arsenal, for their part, last reached the final back in 2023, when they were routed 5-1 by a lively West Ham side in front of more than 34,000 at the Emirates. Jack Wilshere was boss back then, backed by his No2 Adam Birchall, who is now head coach following Wilshere’s move to Norwich City earlier in the season.

Following a hard-fought opening, Arsenal went ahead when Harriman-Annous slotted home past Hertford keeper William Kiers to make it 1-0 on seven minutes.

Hertford could have levelled when their highly-rated No9 Finley Lynch got ahead of Arsenal centre-back Brayden Clark to brush the post from George Andreou’s cross on 17 minutes.

The visitors failed to heed the warning, and paid the price six minutes later, when O’Brien followed up Riley Carr’s cross to make it 1-1 by firing past League Cup starlet Jack Porter and in the Gunners net as a packed Hertingfordbury Park erupted with delight.

However, such joy was short-lived, as Birchall’s talented side went ahead with five minutes remaining of the first half. Young Guns No10 Casey lifting the ball over keeper William Kiers, and into the net to put the visitors 2-1.

Worse was to come for the battling home side 60 seconds later, when No8 Copley made it 3-1 to the visitors as Birchall’s side made it two in as many minutes.

The home side refused to give up, and on 54 minutes Lynch fired his spot kick past Porter in the Gunners goal to pull a goal and make the scoreline 3-2 to the North Londoners.

As temperatures dropped on a cold evening, Casey grabbed his second of the match on 64 minutes to make it 4-2 and underline the visitors superiority, which despite Devshi’s 83rd minutes strike, saw Birchall’s side make it over the line against a Hertford side that deserved plaudits for its excellent spirit and determination.

Even if the referee attempted to remove the young guns joy by sending off an exuberent Porter for over-zealous celebrations after the firnal whistle.