Alton's youngsters progressed to the third round of the Hampshire Under 18's Midweek Floodlit Cup in dramatic fashion on a windy night at Cove and on a pitch that again emphasised that at the Bass Ground we have without doubt the best playing surface in the Allied Counties Youth League and most probably also the best in the Wessex League.

A dreadful surface that had been host to matches on Saturday, Monday & Tuesday was no place to arrive on Wednesday and be able to play the controlled passing game that has become Alton Youth's trademark this season.

Some lazy, wind assisted, defending cost Alton dear in the first minute when the home side scored as the ball bobbled around in the Alton box. A scrappy first half was put to bed when Nick Sharp drove forward and found Elliot Tricker in the six yard box to equalise.

It looked all over on 65 minutes when Elliot again got on the end of an Alex Ledger shot to slot home his second of the night. But the weather had other ideas in the fifth minute of added time as an Alton clearance from a corner swung back into the area and a shot going well wide took an unfortunate deflection off Olly Copplestone to earn extra time.

Cove saw out the additional 30 minutes despite constant Alton pressure to bring the conclusion down to penalties.

Excellent strikes from the spot from Callum Burch, Alex Ledger, Jamie Kinch and Olly Copplestone put the pressure on the home side to stay in the game with their fourth kick, having already missed one. The moment for Alton keeper Mo Nyamungo to become the hero of the night had arrived - with a splendid save to his left signalling the traditional rush from the half way line and the life threatening bundle!

In some games the win needs to come from a collective team spirit rather than the result of attractive flowing play. This was such a night.

ALTON TOWN YOUTH
Mo Nyamunga:
Jay McQuitty, Lewis Graham, Mike Turner (Josh Brown), Scott Browne:
Jake Bishop, Nick Sharp (Jamie Kinch), Alex Ledger, Jack Jones:
Callum Burch, Elliot Tricker.
Unused subs: Henry Fox, Josh Brewster