WHAT HAPPENED
Goals from Folarin Balogun and Zak Swanson secured a 2-0 win over Northampton - and sealed our place in the next round of the FA Youth Cup.
We were on top for much of the encounter and tested the visitors’ resolve early on when Sam Greenwood showed some neat close control before sending a strike goalwards.
Balogun then forced Bradley Lashley in the Northampton goal to parry the ball away after an effort of his own.
At the other end of the pitch, a rare attack from the visitors and a dangerous ball to the far post forced Vontae Daley-Campbell to nod the ball away from the onrushing forward.
We eventually broke the deadlock as we entered the final 10 minutes of the first half. Balogun seized on the ball before driving towards goal, holding his nerve to unerringly send a low strike into the net.
Balogun went close again at the start of the second half, but his rising strike cannoned off the crossbar and flew behind for a goal kick.
Our margin of victory increased with a quarter of an hour remaining, with Swanson marauding forward from left-back before seeing a cross-cum-shot loop over Lashley and find the net.
WHAT IT MEANS
We’ll now face either Millwall or Tottenham Hotspur in the next round of the FA Youth Cup.
Stay close to Arsenal.com for confirmation of our opponents and a set fixture date and kick-off time.
WHAT’S NEXT
Ken Gillard’s under-18s will now have a break, returning to action on Saturday, January 5.
That fixture will be a Premier League South game, with our youngsters hosting Brighton & Hove Albion at London Colney, with kick-off at 3pm.
Access to the fixture is by invitation only.
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