County exited the FA Youth Cup at the hands of Everton on Tuesday evening, as three second half goals from the hosts cancelled out Kylan Depieaza’s leveller on the stroke of half-time.
The young Hatters had beaten Farsley Celtic and Leighton Town in the previous two rounds to set up the tie at Goodison Park.
County started brightly and could’ve led within minutes. Depieaza pounced on a loose back pass, where George Pickford made a great save, before the goalkeeper recovered and denied Lee Williams on the follow-up.
In-behind again, Williams played Depeiaza through, but the forward couldn’t get the ball under control, which gave the defender the chance to catch up and make the tackle.
The hosts had their first chance of the game, as a floated cross to the back post found Martin Sherif, but his header hit the side-netting.
A flowing passing move by Everton opened up a chance to strike inside the box, but County captain Kingston Fligg showed fantastic work-rate to get back and make a vital block.
A miscued cross by Harrison Armstrong nearly caught out Kane Bove, but the County stopper did well to adjust his body and acrobatically tip the ball over the bar. From the resulting corner, Sherif powered a header towards goal, but Bove made another fantastic save to deny.
The hosts found the breakthrough five minutes before the interval. A floated corner to the back post found Sherif in space, who headed an effort into the near post from close range.
On the stroke of half-time, County were level. Depeiaza spun the defender and raced through on goal, where he opened his body up and confidently finished into the far corner.
HALF-TIME: Everton 1-1 County (Depeiaza 45′)
A disguised pass through the County defence found Sherif, and his strike on the turn hit the side-netting after being forced to shoot from a tight angle.
County began to grow back into the game as the ball found Lee Williams inside the box. The striker set himself and curled an effort towards the far corner, but the ball was deflected just wide of the post.
A string of passes across the pitch opened up Everton. Freddie Redshaw took advantage and tried his luck from just outside the area, and the curling strike flashed past the post.
Getting on the ball again, Redshaw switched the play to Joe Hillary, who played a first-time cross into Depeiaza, but his header was well-saved by Pickford.
Despite County’s pressure, Everton regained the lead. The ball looped over the County back-line, and Sherif glanced the ball over Bove and into the far corner for his second of the game.
Sherif had a chance to grab his hat trick, as the ball fell to the forward inside the area, but Rhys Watson did well to get the block in and deflect the ball behind for a corner.
Everton found a third three minutes from time. A corner was half-cleared by County, and substitute Matthew Apter volleyed the ball into the top corner in spectacular fashion, giving Bove no chance.
The hosts were awarded a penalty in stoppage time after a late challenge by Callum Scruton, but Sherif blazed the spot kick over the bar.
A fourth was added seconds from full-time, as a well-worked passing move opened up County, and George Morgan was slipped through, where he comfortably finished into the net.
FULL-TIME: Everton 4-1 County (Depeiaza 45′)
County XI: Bove; Partington, Scruton, Watson; Redshaw, Fligg (capt.), Johnson, Mee, Hillary; Williams, Depeiaza
