27 February 2008
VIDEO: Sixth Round - Port Vale 2-5 Chelsea

Watch the highlights from Chelsea's drubbing of Port Vale - look out for a hat-trick from rising star Gael Kakuta.

Charlton Athletic

1-2

Sunderland

Yussuff 63

 

Waghorn 55, Henderson 90


The FA Youth Cup Sponsored by E.ON
Sixth Round Proper 
Wednesday 27 February 2008
The Valley, Charlton Athletic FC
Click here for Semi-Final ties

Sunderland knocked out holders Liverpool in the last round and are now through to the Semi-Finals after Jordan Henderson's stoppage-time winner at The Valley last night.

The first half was cagey, with few chances being created. Martyn Waghorn, a young Sunderland striker with Premiership experience, headed inches over the bar from Nathan Luscombe's deep cross on 18 minutes and Charlton's Danny Uchechi took a short pass from Ben Godfrey and fired in a 25-yarder that also narrowly missed the target on the half-hour.

Defences generally dominated, with Joe Cornforth and Niall McArdle looking particularly solid for the visitors. Sunderland midfielder and skipper Jack Colback finally wriggled free to hit the right-hand post before half-time, but it had become a game that was crying out for a goal. It arrived ten minutes into the second period and Henderson was the provider.

The fleet-footed winger burst down the right before chipping a clever ball into the middle. It was too high for the leaping Luscombe, but Waghorn was lurking beyond the far post to thump the ball firmly past Joe Woolley with his hammer of a left foot.

Now it became a much more eventful and entertaining tie, with Charlton noticeably upping the tempo of their play.

An equaliser that was almost inevitable came just eight minutes after Sunderland had taken the lead. Charlton owed the goal to the persistence of right-back Chris Solly, who rode two hefty tackles in a diagonal run before laying the ball off for Rashid Yussuff to drill a low shot into the right corner.

A minute later Charlton's Ben Godfrey worked a yard of space inside the box and slammed the ball against the foot of the right-hand post.

The momentum was with the young Addicks, but two or three further chances were missed and the play then became end-to-end in a lung-bursting last few minutes.

Deep into the three minutes' stoppage time Sunderland won this entertaining Quarter-Final with a spectacular goal. The home defence, including the 'keeper, pushed forward after repelling one attack and could only stand and watch as Henderson lobbed a gentle 25-yarder over Woolley's head and down over the line.

There was an explosion of joy amongst a sizeable contingent of Sunderland supporters in the West Stand, who now have a two-leg Semi-Final against Manchester City to look forward to.

Attendance: 1,840