Youths Progress In FA Youth Cup: Harriers Youth 7-0 Evesham United Youth

A Dan Sweeney hat-trick helped set up a trip to Tipton Town in the next round as Harriers juniors cruised past Evesham United.

Harriers wasted no time in taking control of the game Haden Smith blasting over the bar after just six minutes when the visitors failed to clear a corner.

Sweeney opened up the scoring after ten minutes, powering a header from Matt Evans' cross past Lance Potter in the Evesham goal.  At this stage Evesham were still competing and should have drawn level when Ewen Dunbar's pass found William Collicutt, he should have done better with his chance but took too many touches and had to pass, setting up Oliver Brothwood who fired narrowly wide of the post.

On 17 minutes Harriers went further ahead; Scott Painter's pass setting Reece Jacobs away on the right who scored with a shot from a narrow angle.  Five minutes later Harriers increased their lead further; Jacobs' pass setting up Sweeney to take the ball around Potter.

Three minutes later Sweeney completed his hat-trick with a low shot inside Potter's right-hand post and by the half-hour mark Harriers had the result in the bag; Painter and Sweeney combined on the left with Evesham failing to clear the latter's cross, Evans at the far post controlled with one touch and volleyed in with a second.

Harriers could have had more before the break but Sweeney fired over the bar with an overhead kick and Painter saw his 20-yard effort saved.

After the interval, despite being behind by five goals, Evesham came out with some purpose and almost pulled a goal back but Andrew Barnes' header was cleared off the line by James Hancocks.

Eventually Harriers found the net again; substitute Charlie Gregg firing in on 65 minutes with a low shot from the edge of the penalty area that Potter fumbled over the line.  Seven minutes later Harriers added a seventh when Jacobs dribbled his way into the penalty area past a number of challenges before slotting the ball past Potter.

Jacobs could have had a hat-trick himself after a good run with seven minutes left in the game but after holding off the challenge of Kieran Burns he curled his shot the wrong side of the post.

Harriers' victory sets up a trip to Tipton in the First Qualifying Round, a repeat of last season when the teams met at the same stage with Harriers coming out on top 4-0.