FA Youth Cup Third Round Qualifying Aveley 2 (Djan, Tranter) St Albans City 5 (Muskwe 2, Macey, Logan 2) After Extra Time James Ronayne at Mill Field ST ALBANS City s youngsters earned a home First Round Proper tie with Colchester United in the FA Youth

FA Youth Cup Third Round Qualifying

Aveley 2 (Djan, Tranter)

St Albans City 5 (Muskwe 2, Macey, Logan 2)

After Extra Time

James Ronayne at Mill Field

ST ALBANS City's youngsters earned a home First Round Proper tie with Colchester United in the FA Youth Cup after beating Aveley after extra time.

The Saints were well below par but upped their game in extra time to set up the tie with the League One Us.

It wasn't a pretty game by any stretch of the imagination but as with all cup football it's about getting the result and City's youngsters showed the spirit and determination to grind out the win.

City got the scoring going when Tinashe Muskwe rose to head home Conor Baker's cross, after the left back had been released by Jonathan O'Donnell.

As the game wore on Aveley gained more of a footing in the game but it was City who came closest to adding to their tally.

Luke Jackaman, picked the ball up on the right hand side of the box, who crossed for James Macey. The winger miscued his shot with the ball spinning to City right back Ben Spaul whose low drive was flicked over the bar by Muskwe from close range.

The hosts came out after the break with a renewed vigour and only a wonderful save low down by Adam McWeeney preserved City's lead.

However the hosts levelled shortly afterwards with the City defence guilty of falling asleep. A free kick out on the right was whipped in and Ebenezer Djan was given the freedom of the City box to head past a stranded McWeeney.

Saints boss Steve Castle replaced Jackaman with Jimmy Davis and the winger had an immediate impact.

He got free on the right and delivered a good cross that found James Macey at the far post. The left winger looked to have wasted the opportunity as he looked to work it onto his favoured left foot but he showed good composure to fire the ball low past the Aveley goalkeeper and re-establish City's lead.

Castle was forced into another change with O'Donnell, who was suffering with a bad back, was replaced by George Saunders.

With time running out Aveley launched one last barrage of attacks to try and take the game to extra time. A good block by Ross Dedman on the edge of the box denied the hosts first of all but the ball spun out to goalscorer Djan whose shot was tipped wide by McWeeney.

It looked as if the Saints had seen off the challenge of the home side until disaster struck in the second minute of injury time. Djan was allowed space on the right and he crossed into the six-yard box where Reece Tranter was on hand to turn the ball home.

City to their credit didn't let this set back get the better of them and they regained the lead four minutes into extra time. A suspiciously offside looking Davis raced clear down the right and although his cross couldn't be turned home by Muskwe, sub Romaric Logan was on hand to bundle the ball over the line.

The visitors put the game beyond doubt with a fourth in the 111th minute. Baker released the impressive Macey and his pin-point cross gave Muskwe the easiest of headers from six yards out to double his tally for the night.

City rubbed salt in their hosts' wounds with a fifth in added time when Logan wriggled free on the byline and squeezed the ball between the goalkeeper and his near post to grab his second of the match.

It wasn't the best performance from the City youngsters by any means but they showed good character to over come that late set back and set up a glamour tie with Colchester United at Clarence Park.

St Albans City: McWeeney; Spaul, Lewis, Dedman, Baker; Jackaman (Davis 57), Magwood, O'Donnell (Saunders 80), Macey; Muskwe, Geraldes (Logan 65), Subs not used: Eadie.