Non-League and Academy football writer

In this first round tie of the 2023/24 FA Youth Cup, Leyton Orient’s Under 18 side faced non-League side AFC Sudbury’s Under 18 side, at Brisbane Road on Tuesday evening. Leyton Orient won this first round tie 2-1, but it was far from being an easy win, with a well organised AFC Sudbury Under 18 side almost taking the game beyond the normal 90 minute match, but for a late Leyton Orient goal right near the end of the game. AFC Sudbury’s Reuben Swann had a decent early effort blocked inside the Leyton Orient box, before having a headed effort from a corner-kick delivery, saved by Leyton Orient goalkeeper Lenny Holden. AFC Sudbury had started the game well, and Leyton Orient were not quite able to get their passing game going. Max Brownsdon headed Alfie Lambert’s cross wide of the goal, from inside the Leyton Orient penalty area, not long before Leyton Orient started to settle a bit more on the ball. Max Brownsdon had blocked a decent effort from Thomas Avgoustidis inside the Sudbury penalty area, and then not long after that chance, AFC Sudbury managed to respond by creating another early chance of their own. This time Jenson Goode’s headed effort on the Leyton Orient goal, was saved by Lenny Holden, after Goode had connected with Alfie Lambert’s delivery into the box.

After receiving the ball, the influential Reuben Swann went forward with it, before attempting to score a goal with an effort from the edge of the Leyton Orient penalty area. However, the midfielder’s effort went wide of the goal. Ashley Koroma had seen his free-kick effort go over the Sudbury goal from the edge of the visitors’ penalty area, before AFC Sudbury managed to win themselves a penalty. AFC Sudbury player Reuben Swann continued his fine start to the game, by turning his way past Leyton Orient full-back Marley St Louis inside the left area of the Leyton Orient penalty area, before being fouled and winning the penalty kick. Kaya Donohue stepped up to calmly find the bottom right corner of Lenny Holden’s goal, to give the visitors the lead. However, their lead didn’t last very long, with Leyton Orient finding an equalising goal less than four minutes later, just before half-time. AFC Sudbury had lost the ball, with Thomas Avgoustidis then advancing forward with the ball at pace. The Leyton Orient winger then passed the ball forward to Reon Smith-Kouassi, inside the away team’s penalty area, and from there the Leyton Orient centre-forward was able to curl the ball beyond AFC Sudbury goalkeeper Toby Hurst, and into the goal.

After showing some good skill on the ball, AFC Sudbury’s Reuben Swann tried his luck with an effort on goal from distance, however, his effort went over the Leyton Orient goal, just before the referee sounded her whistle for half-time. The good pace of the game continued, as the second half got underway. AFC Sudbury captain Billy Walsh hit an effort over Lenny Holden’s goal, from the edge of the Leyton Orient box, before Leyton Orient player Ashley Koroma hit an effort over the AFC Sudbury goal, after the ball had bounced invitingly in front of him on the right side of the penalty area. AFC Sudbury were making some good and strong challenges in the match, and were by no means showing too much respect to Leyton Orient. After Leyton Orient had missed a chance to score from a free-kick, Kaidon Tower-King saw his effort from a resulting AFC Sudbury free-kick into the Leyton Orient box, go over the goal. The creative Thomas Avgoustidis did well to go on a good run down the left flank of the pitch, before pulling back a cross to Ashley Koroma in the AFC Sudbury box, from which the Leyton Orient midfielder curled a low effort just wide of Toby Hurst’s right hand post.

Probably Leyton Orient’s best player over the course of the game, Thomas Avgoustidis, after cutting inside with the ball from the left flank into the AFC Sudbury box, had a powerful deflected effort go just wide of Toby Hurst’s goal, as the game began to be played at an even more frantic pace. AFC Sudbury then created two decent late chances to win the game from. First of all Max Brownsdon, who after meeting a cross inside the Leyton Orient box, saw his resulting goal bound effort deflected just wide of the goal. Then shortly afterwards, captain Billy Walsh managed to make minimal contact with Tristan Vule’s lofted pass into the centre of the Leyton Orient penalty area, from which Walsh’s effort was deflected narrowly wide of the Leyton Orient goal. From thinking that they had scored the winning goal of the game, to then conceding the winner at the other end of the pitch, it was a very difficult end to a performance that all of the AFC Sudbury players could be very proud of. With Thomas Avgoustidis going on another good run down the left flank, the Leyton Orient winger managed to find Reon Smith-Kouassi inside the Sudbury penalty area. The Leyton Orient centre-forward was clinical in front of goal once again, as his first time volleyed effort found the bottom right corner of the goal (there were some protests from the visitors regarding a potential foul in the build-up to the goal), prompting big celebrations from the Leyton Orient players, deep in to second half stoppage time, to win the cup tie for Leyton Orient.

Although it was Leyton Orient who booked their place in round two of this prestigious old competition, I was impressed by how the very well organised AFC Sudbury team conducted themselves at Brisbane Road. They did very well, and were very unlucky to be knocked out of the FA Youth Cup on Tuesday evening. I was really impressed with how AFC Sudbury midfielder Reuben Swann played in midfield, with him often making the game look easy, while influencing the game from midfield really well, at times. However, he unfortunately picked up an injury during the game, and had to be substituted off late on in the match. The 17 year old has already played for AFC Sudbury’s first team this season.