Fulham Under-18s progressed to the Fourth Round of the FA Youth Cup with a professional 4-0 win at Notts County.
Tom Wingate opened the scoring early on at Meadow Lane with a sublime finish, before Macaulay Zepa doubled the lead just seven minutes later. Wingate added two more goals in the second period, claiming a hat-trick to see us claim a big win in front of 580 fans in Nottingham.
We piled on the pressure early on with Farhaan Ali-Wahid seeing a shot blocked, and the opening goal came just seven minutes in when Jon Esenga’s pinpoint cross from the left found Wingate, who finished expertly first time past Harvey Lawson.
Our youngsters didn’t have to wait long for the second as Zepa found space down the right, drilling the ball powerfully past Lawson on his weaker foot to extend our advantage.
The width of the post denied the hosts from getting back into it, as James Sanderson whipped a free-kick narrowly wide of Dino Kaiser’s near post.
It was Harrison Hazard’s turn to take the next left-footed free-kick for the Magpies, but his set-piece deflected off the wall and over the bar.
Chances from free-kicks were becoming a theme of the first-half, with Esenga putting one from a tight angle on top of Lawson’s net.
Five minutes into the second period, Zepa was on another darting run down the right, picking out Ali Wahid inside the box, but he fired over from 12 yards.
Our Young Whites got the third goal just a few moments later as Wingate pounced on an error from Lawson while passing out from the back and the striker finished into an empty net.
The clean sheet for our youngsters was only kept intact by Kaiser’s crossbar, with Kameron Muir rattling the woodwork with a fantastic strike from distance.
Ali Wahid was looking for a goal of his own – and he almost picked out the bottom corner after going on a tricky run, but he curled his shot narrowly wide.
The goal for Wingate's hat-trick was another excellent first time finish. Meeting a cross from the left, he was waiting in the box and put the ball past an onrushing Lawson.
We had chances to put further gloss on the scoreline as Ruban Khan hit the post late on and Tarrell Cavell fired wide, but it was a professional display from our youngsters - and we now wait to find out our opponents in Round Four.
