Lowestoft Town U19s made a stunning start to their National League U19 Alliance campaign as a ruthless attacking display secured a 9–2 victory away at Barking FC.

The Young Blues scored five times during a dominant opening half before responding strongly to two Barking goals after the interval, adding another four to complete an emphatic opening-day victory.

The Starting Line-Up

Jack Trowbridge started in goal behind a back four of Callum Lake, Ashton Blogg, Bailey Sutton and Callum Kemp. Sammy Tipple, Logan Longmore and Noah Underdown occupied the midfield, with Gabriel Hind and Archy Gore supporting Luca Upton in the front three. Zac Cutajar, Carson Lochrie, Riley Eastell, Aiden Chirimunjiri and Corbyn Dixon were named among the substitutes.

Ruthless First-Half Display

Lowestoft began the contest on the front foot and quickly established control. Inside the opening 10 minutes, some excellent attacking play resulted in the visitors being awarded a penalty. Ashton Blogg stepped forward and confidently converted from the spot to open the scoring. It did not take long for the Young Blues to double their advantage. Gabriel Hind found the net to make it 2–0 before producing the goal of the half, meeting the ball with a superb volley from the edge of the penalty area to give the Barking goalkeeper no chance. With Barking struggling to contain Lowestoft’s relentless attacking play, a fourth goal arrived around the half-hour mark. Archy Gore met a low cross and cleverly flicked his finish into the far corner. Callum Kemp then drove forward from defence and calmly slotted the ball beyond the goalkeeper to send Lowestoft into the interval with a commanding 5–0 lead. It had been a completely dominant and ruthless first-half performance from the Young Blues, leaving the hosts shell-shocked at the break.

Lowestoft Respond to Barking Fightback

Corbyn Dixon, Riley Eastell, Zac Cutajar and Carson Lochrie were introduced for the second half, adding fresh energy to the visiting side. The opening 15 minutes of the second period were more evenly contested, with Barking responding through two excellently taken individual goals. The quick double ended Lowestoft’s hopes of a clean sheet and briefly gave the hosts renewed belief. However, the Young Blues reacted positively and quickly regained control. Bailey Sutton restored the four-goal advantage when he converted from a Sammy Tipple corner to make it 6–2. Aiden Chirimunjiri was introduced on the hour mark before Dixon added Lowestoft’s seventh goal of the afternoon. Chirimunjiri then completed an excellent attacking move to score the eighth as the visitors once again began to dominate proceedings. Dixon rounded off the scoring late on when he raced through on goal and finished expertly to secure his second of the contest. The striker came incredibly close to completing his hat-trick in spectacular fashion. Spotting the Barking goalkeeper away from his line, Dixon attempted an audacious strike from close to the halfway line. The effort appeared destined for the net, only for the retreating goalkeeper to produce an excellent save and claw the ball away.

Outstanding Opening-Day Victory

The final whistle confirmed an emphatic 9–2 victory and the perfect start to Lowestoft’s new league campaign. It was an outstanding team performance, with every player contributing to the result. The ruthless first-half display demonstrated the group’s attacking quality, while their response to Barking’s two second-half goals showed character and a determination to regain control. The result represents a clear statement of intent from the Young Blues as they collect their first three points of the season.

Player of the Match

Ashton Blogg was named Player of the Match following a commanding display. Alongside converting the opening penalty, Ashton produced a dominant first-half performance at the heart of the Lowestoft defence and played an important role in setting the standards for the team’s victory.

Next Up

Attention now returns to the FA Youth Cup as Lowestoft Town U18s welcome Haverhill Rovers U18s to Crown Meadow in the First Qualifying Round. The tie will be played on Wednesday 16 September, with kick-off at 7:45pm. Following the brilliant support during the Preliminary Round victory over Downham Town, the players will once again need the town behind them. The U19s return to league action the following week when they make their shortest away journey of the season to face Wroxham FC U19s on Wednesday 23 September.

Match Details

Barking FC U19s 2–9 Lowestoft Town U19s
Lowestoft goalscorers: Ashton Blogg, Gabriel Hind (2), Archy Gore, Callum Kemp, Bailey Sutton, Corbyn Dixon (2), Aiden Chirimunjiri.
Player of the Match: Ashton Blogg.
Starting XI: Jack Trowbridge; Callum Lake, Ashton Blogg, Bailey Sutton, Callum Kemp; Sammy Tipple, Logan Longmore, Noah Underdown; Gabriel Hind, Luca Upton, Archy Gore.
Substitutes: Zac Cutajar, Carson Lochrie, Riley Eastell, Aiden Chirimunjiri, Corbyn Dixon.