FA Youth Cup 5th Round, 25/3/97
Luton Town 0(0)
Watford 0(0)
Team: Rogers, Cave, Robinson, Perpetuini, Pluck, Panayi, Smith, Grieves, Noel-Williams, A Johnson, Boyce
 
Jinx continues
Report by Pete Fincham

The jinx continues for Watford, as despite having the better half of possession and four or five golden opportunities to have sealed this game in the first half hour, frenetic defending and a couple of moments of goalkeeping brilliance by Nick Webb (goalkeeper Scummer) defied the Hornets.

The simple fact was that for 45 minutes we were brilliant. Gifton, accompanied by the North London Tambourine quintet, was exceptional until it came to the finishing, and he will be kicking himself for missing at least two opportunities which, had it not been Kenilworth Road and against Scum, he would have walked in.

Paul Robinson and Gifton came into the side, with Vince Cave, many people's hero from the Moan United game, switching to right back, and Tommy Smith, scorer of the brilliant first at home in the same game, largely redundant throughout on the left wing.

With the goalkeeper, Rogers, seemingly doing nothing throughout the game (I can't remember him having to make a save) such was the dominance of Pluck and Panayi at the heart of the Horns defence, the real battle was fought out in midfield with Grieves running the show like the master he will inevitably become.

Top Scum scorer, Liam George, was missing from their side which showed very little talent and absolutely no imagination, in what they must view as a standard Scum showing.

I cannot emphasise enough how dominant the 'AC Milan wearing' golden boys were for the first 45. But goals win games, and bad luck, bad finishing, and inspired stopping made the final outcome 0-0 with me certainly out of breath (although that may have been because I sang for 90 minutes non stop).

The winners are home/away to Leeds in that order, whilst the other semi is between Palarse and winners of Blackburn and Norwich (not Norwich again!).