Boro youngsters flying the flag for struggling club in the FA Youth Cup

Life looked rather bleak for FC Broxbourne Borough when manager Frank Piazza’s exit two weeks into pre-season brought them to the brink of collapse.

But thanks to a remarkable FA Youth Cup run, director of football Graham Dodd insists things are looking up. 

Four months on from Piazza’s departure and life for the first team is harder than ever. But amid the doom and gloom their remarkable youngsters have been giant-killing on their way to the FA Youth Cup third round.

The senior side are 21st out of 22 in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division following a mass exodus of players after Piazza’s departure. 

But with Roy Bleau’s youngsters’ remarkable run seeing them down National League side Boreham Wood 2-1 in the second round and book a clash against Chester, there is now a much-needed cause for optimism.

“The manager resigned two weeks into pre-season and at that point it caused the discussion about whether the club should retain its first team,” Dodd explained. 

“We have managed to keep going, the bad thing is that we’re having a tough time in the Spartan League at the moment. 

“The youngsters have exceeded expectations already, we went to Boreham Wood in the last round and were confident; we now face Chester.

“We are now taking calls on a regular basis from academy coaches asking where the Under-18s are playing.” 

Chester’s senior side sit eighth in the National League and their youngsters will no doubt be brimming with confidence after beating Bolton Wanderers 2-0 in round two and Fleetwood Town 1-0 in their opener. 

But Dodd insists that no one at Broxbourne Borough is entering the home clash at Goffs Lane with a defeatist mind-set and that victory, as well as a potential big fourth round tie, is very much the order of the day. 

“Chester are a National League club and we have to respect what they have done in beating two League One sides,” Dodd said.  

“But Boreham Wood beat Northampton in the round before we beat them, so it is difficult to find that balance. 

“We are certainly not going into the game expecting to get beaten, we are expecting to win and for a plum draw after that.” 

FA Youth Cup history
Neither Chester nor Broxbourne Borough have made it to the third round before. 
Broxbourne have arguably had the easier path thus far, receiving a bye in the first round before downing Boreham Wood. 
Chester have faced mammoth tasks in Fleetwood Town and Bolton – the Wanderers were a Category One academy until last year and now play regularly alongside the youth teams of Championship sides. 

Did you know?
Chester FC were formed after Chester City were wound up in 2010 and successfully gained readmission to the Northern Premier League Division One North. 
They were ineligible for Emirates FA Cup action until 2012-13 and drew their first-ever game with Gainsborough Trinity before winning the replay.
FC Broxbourne Borough began life as Somersett and failed to win a game throughout their first two seasons. 
After merging with Sunday League side Ambury, Somersett Ambury V&E became Broxbourne Borough V&E in 2002. 
But after folding in 2012, they became Broxbourne Borough FC and finally, in 2014, FC Broxbourne Borough. 

One to watch
Forward Alie Bangura has already made a first-team appearance for Broxbourne and though Dodd was eager to emphasise the unseen efforts of his midfielders, it is the prolific Bangura who rarely fails to catch the eye. 
“Alie is the flair player in the team,” Dodd said. “We played Felixstowe in FA Cup first round qualifying and were getting well beaten.
“We put Alie on to give him a bit of experience, they had two very handy central defenders and the first couple of times he got the ball, he just ran at them and they wondered where he was coming from.”