The Kent Under 18s are in contention to win the Under 18 South East Counties Youth Championship after a five star triumph over the London Under 18s. 

One Dartford young man left Gay Dawn Farm with an added piece of luggage as Justin Nwogu bagged the match ball with a clinical hat trick either side of half time.

Indeed but for an inspired display by London’s Bromley keeper Brad Morgan, it would have be an even more comprehensive win for Ken Brooke’s side, but the manager was naturally a happy man after the game:

“Great win that keeps us in with a shout of winning the League. It will depend on the final game with Middlesex – but we don’t know when that will be played and (congrats to them) they’re in the County Cup Final as well after a great season.”

But the U18s boss was full of praise for his own charges in particular Nwogu.:

“He played for Kent Football United yesterday and scored another hat trick. But I’d like to put on record our thanks to them for pulling him off so that he could play for us today.”

Ironically, the visitor’s best chance of the game was the first as Cray Valley’s Joe Cennamo got in behind the Kent defence and as keeper Tyler McCarthy came out, the stopper was relieved to see Nick Thompson clear to safety.

The opening goal came just past the quarter hour mark as Morgan did well initially to deny Nwogu and following up through the mayhem, Umoh Ufot was on hand to bundle the ball home.

Nwogu was causing all sorts of problems for the London defence and it was from such a pass that Josh Dalton was denied by the keeper’s right boot.

Back came Kent again, and this time Dalsan’s shot kissed the post on the way to safety.  Kent skipper Aaron James then headed wide from a corner before the home side finally doubled the lead on the stroke of half time, when Nwogu was delightfully found by a stunning splitting pass and beat Morgan with aplomb from the edge of the box.

The game itself was over as a contest ten minutes into the second half as Kent – or should that be Nwogu duly completed his hat trick and still had time to force Morgan into the save of the game.

The third goal was arguably the most spectacular of the day as Nwogu took aim from the left angle of the area and angled the looping ball over the keeper’s head and into the roof of the net.

In their next attack came Morgan’s heroics to deny Nwogu his hat trick, but the Dartford man was not to be denied as from the very next attack (Morgan by now must have thought that he was in a shooting gallery) he duly obliged by converting Eli Graham’s ball.

It really was plain sailing now for Kent and both sub Jack Mahon and Graham went close to adding to the avalanche before Graham nodded home George Della Valle’s cross to complete the rout.

For manager Brooke, it was this goal that gave him most pleasure as he explained:

“It was great to see George involved today as a while back he was hospitalised for a while after collapsing – today’s the first time he’s played for me.”

“But through the lows we kept in touch with him and his family and we’re delighted to see him out there today and I think that his cross for the fifth goal was probably the best goal we scored – which is probably harsh on Justin after some of his finishes.”

“From a manager’s view, the fifth was the perfect one and exactly what we’d asked for – a good cross and well done to George – it was good to see him back!”

 

 

KENT u18s – Louis Lawlor, Jack Paxman, Nick Kelliher, Dan Thompson, Nick Thompson, Aaron James, Josh Dalsan, Ross Phillips, Justin Nwogu, Umoh Ufot, Eli Graham

Subs – Jack Mahon, Sam Reed, Connor Dobson, George Della Valle, Rene Armstrong

LONDON u18s – Brad Morgan, Hayden Baker, Nathan Horrigan, Harry Wootten, Dan Fleming, Luke Wright, Joe Cennamo, Stephanos Ponayi, Danny Bradley, Charlie Dodson

Subs – Darren Smith, Jack White, Billy Carroll

Referee – Dan Proctor
Assistants – Harry Phillips and Shane Brown

 

Picture supplied by www.psp-images.co.uk