U18 Report: Saints 1-2 Leicester City

Oliver Gardner's header had put Saints ahead after just 12 minutes, though the visitors fought back through Simranjit Thandi and Morgan Brown either side of half time to earn all three points.

It didn't take the Saints youngsters long to take the lead at Staplewood. Jake Vokins’ in-swinging corner from the right was headed in by Gardner from close range to earn the breakthrough their opening performance had deserved.

Craig Fleming was then forced into an early substitution, as an injury to Harrison Davis saw him replaced on 20 minutes by Bailey Owen.

Though that did very little to stop the momentum Saints were building. Immediately after the change a swift counter attack resulted in Jonathan Afolabi heading narrowly wide of the far post to double the advantage.

The visitors, however, were not ready to lie down and soon managed to claw their way back into the tie just minutes before the interval.

Going in search of an equaliser, defender Thandi found his way into Alex Cull’s penalty area and glanced a deep cross past the Saints goalkeeper to pull Leicester level just one minute from time.

Shortly after the break Michael Obafemi was hauled down inside the penalty area having rounded Cameron Yates in the Leicester goal, though referee Lewis Sandoe waved away any claims for a penalty.

In a bid to regain the lead, Fleming introduced Oludare Olufunwa in favour on Afolabi on the hour mark.

But it was actually the visitors that came closest to netting a second. Having won a free-kick on the edge of the area, Morgan Brown bent the set-piece narrowly wide of Cull’s near post.

Shortly after Brown did find the back of the net, though. From the opposite side of the penalty area the Leicester midfielder bent a free-kick over the wall and into the net to put the Foxes ahead.

Saints continued to search for an equaliser and came so close to finding one in the dying minutes. Obafemi showed great strength to hold off his marker and send Vokins running down the left flank who in turn crossed for the striker at the back post, but the ball was just too far ahead of Obafemi to steer in an equaliser.