WHAT HAPPENED
Folarin Balogun delivered a performance to remember for our under-23s as we cruised to a 5-0 victory over Brighton.
It was also a fifth consecutive Premier League 2 victory for Steve Bould’s side, seeing them climb up the table from 11th to fifth.
This was our youngsters’ first competitive fixture in over a month, but there were no signs of rustiness at Meadow Park, as Miguel Azeez gave us an early lead.
The 18-year-old midfielder picked up possession on the edge of the area, skipped past his marker and then curled the ball into the top right corner.
Balogun then went on to double our advantage in style, kickstarting an attack by weaving between two defenders, before playing a one-two with Azeez and whipping the ball past Thomas McGill and into the far corner.
The 19-year-old forward looked dangerous every time he received the ball, and it wasn’t long before he had his second of the night. Played through by Azeez on the counter, Balogun got his head down on the halfway line and charged at the Brighton defence, beating his marker for pace before finishing into the bottom corner.
Things only got better in the second half too, as Tim Akinola made a vital recovery on the edge of Brighton’s defence and teed up Nikolaj Moller, who was left with the simple task of firing into an open goal.
Our entire team delivered an impressive performance, but captain Balogun in particular was outstanding, and deep into stoppage time he completed his hat-trick, controlling a loose ball inside the area to finish through the legs of McGill.
WHAT IT MEANS
WHAT’S NEXT
Next up, we will face Tottenham on Friday, January 29.
The game will take place at Hotspur Way Training Ground with kick-off at 12pm (UK time).
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