U18 Report: Brighton 1-3 Saints

Two sharp finishes from the Frenchman all but secured the points for the visitors inside 25 minutes before Sean Brennan scrambled home a third just after the hour mark.

The Seagulls’ Bojan Radulovic netted what proved to be a consolation 20 minutes from time as Craig Fleming and Danny Butterfield’s side stood firm late on for a well-earned victory.

Saints were outclassed by league leaders Chelsea the previous weekend but bounced back in style here to remain within touching distance of second-place Arsenal in the U18s Premier League.

Two early scares threatened to begin the afternoon as the last had finished however as Brighton struck the post through Radulovic and somehow failed to turn home a wide free-kick in the opening 10 minutes.

Robise’s early brace immediately punished the hosts profligacy. Kayne Ramsay’s delivery from the right was too high for Jonathan Afolabi but ideal for the left winger to drill low inside the near post on 17 minutes.

The blonde-haired number 11 soon had a second to his name. Moments later, Harry Hamblin’s cross-field pass sent the former Stade de Reims youngster in behind the defence to control without breaking stride, shift the ball onto his left foot and fire past the goalkeeper from a tight angle.

For the quality of their first two goals, there was a touch of fortune about Saints’ third midway through the second period.

Kameron Ledwidge scurried forward from left back to tee up Jonathan Afolabi whose deflected shot fell kindly for Sean Brennan to scramble into the net from a matter of yards.

Radulovic rolled a shot past Adam Parkes four minutes later to reduce the deficit and the goalkeeper expertly denied Hayden Roberts’s long-range shot to prevent a nervy finale on the south coast.

Holding a five-point advantage over Swansea with a game in hand, the result all but guarantees Saints a top three finish.