FA Premier Academy League U19, 11/11/01

FA Premier Academy League U19

Sun 11th November 2001

Reading (0) 0 - Arsenal 3 (0)

The gunners took the lead when steven santry put through carling itonga down the right. itonga cut the ball back from the bar line to a waiting david bentley who finshed well into the bottom corner.

Reading came close a number of times but it was down to the good defending from matthew rouse and his fellow centre back ben chorley which stopped the attacks.

the gunners went 2 up when a pin point cross from david bentley to the head of carling itonga at the back post saw the net.

it was itonga again just before the break who added another for gunners when good build up play lead to itonga spinning his marker on the edge of the box and scoring in the bottom right hand corner.

the gunners were ahead 3-0 at half time but they could have been 3-0 down within 10 minutes had matthew rouse not been on his game. the arsenal defender was playing tremendously well.

michael smith replaced steven santry at half time and straight away he got into the thick of things with the reading midfield. the gunners went close with a number of chances through itonga and bentley before they got there fourth.

a micheal smith through ball was cut off by the reading goalkeeper but a poor clearance left the goalie stranded and an unmarked alex sesto was able to shoot the ball from 25 yards towards goal only for reading's right back to dive and acrobatically save the ball with his hands. a penalty was awarded and itonga who was looking for his hat trick stepped up to take it. he finished well into the bottom right corner.

the gunners made a double substitution and itonga and olaf sunnaklarson were replaced by daniel hollington and young adam burchill.the gunners seadled there victory when good work from burchill saw his cross end up in the reading net through micheal smith at the back post.

report by Richard Friend

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