Date	Thursday 8 September 2011
Match	Royston Town v Bowers & Pitsea
Competition	FA Youth Cup: Preliminary Round
Result	Won 4-1
Royston Scorers	Bond(2), Leighton, O.G.

The Crows' youth team progressed to the next stage of the FA Youth Cup and a trip to Billericay Town after a really exciting game at Garden Walk on Thursday in front of around 100 spectators.

The game was played at a terrific pace throughout but the overall the result was fair and the visiting side may reflect on the first half dismissal of their centre half for a professional foul but Royston were already in front at this stage.

The game started very fast and Royston were in front within five minutes, Daniel Bond racing on to a through ball to beat offside and slot past the advancing keeper. From kick off the visitors had two great chances to level with their forward advancing on goal twice but once shot wide and keeper Daniel Plumb blocking the other. The game swung end to end at a blistering pace but Royston created the clearer openings. Bond twice fired wide and Ellis King shot fro 18 yards and the keeper saved well low to his left.

Five minutes before half time Bond raced clear again and a combination of keeper and defender pulled down the striker. The referee picked on the defender and dismissed the player for the foul and Bond picked himself up to slam the penalty into the top corner.

There was still time for Dan Sizer to clear a scrambled effort of the line for the home side following a free kick but Royston had a commanding lead at half time.

The second half continued at the same fast pace and despite being down to ten men the vistors battled hard. Royston began craeting clear chances as the visitors commited numbers forward in a way back into the game.

Daniel Bond was unlucky to see a 20 yard effort strike a post and George Duffin fired just wide when clear on goal. Against the run of play the vistiors got themselves back into the game mid way through the half when a long ball was reacted to quickest by a striker who beat Owen Bentley quickest to the ball and converted from close range.

Royston reacted well, upped their game further and went onto control the game for its remainder. Within three minutes on the Bowers goal Royston had regained their two goal lead. George Duffin made a powerful run into the box and his low cross was turned into his own net by a defender under pressure.

This goal was pivotal and the hosts went onto create some decent opportunities to extend their lead but could only add one further goal with 8 minutes remaining. Jacob Leighton ran through on goal and won a 50/50 ball with the keeper and rolled the ball into the empty net.

Overall this was another very committed performance from the new youth side and there are encouraging signs for the future within this group.

Team: Plumb (Bentley), Townsend, Maude, Wooding, Sizer, Brennan, Wheeler, King, Bond, Duffin (Leighton) (Vieira), Booth, Unused : Omahony, Brown