Wanderers produced a dramatic penalty shoot-out win to pull off an FA Youth Cup shock and reach the fourth round for the first time since the 2018/19 season, writes Pete Oliver.
Leicester ended the Whites’ run back then in round five but couldn’t stop Julian Darby’s side advancing this time on a fantastic night at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
Wanderers had to come from behind to take the tie into extra-time thanks to a Latrell Lewis leveller and then led through another big moment from Toby Ritchie.
Ritchie – who last month scored on his first-team debut in the Vertu Trophy – looked like he’d bagged the winner until Leicester made it 2-2 with nine minutes to go.
But once it went to spot-kicks, Wanderers held their nerve to complete the upset as Luke Lomax pulled off one fine save and Ritchie, Sam O’Neill, Denver Clement and Jack Mawditt all scored to send the Championship side out and the Whites into the fourth-round draw.
"I'm delighted for the lads," said U18s' boss Darby. "They were in the Premier League last year, and all the millions and millions that comes with that, so it was great credit to the lads. They dug in there and, as we always do, saw that first half out.
"We were one down and to show the spirit and actually have a go at them second half, I thought we possibly deserved the win in the end. The lad's battled through and it's turned out to be a great day. We're in the hat and it means we're going again after Christmas."
The outcome was no more than Wanderers deserved once they had recovered from another shaky start. The Whites had also been slow out of the blocks when getting past Chester and Tranmere Rovers in the opening two rounds.
Against a Category One academy side it could have been more costly as Leicester, who ply their trade in the U18 Premier League, pounced just before half-time to go 1-0 up thanks to captain Lorenz Hutchinson’s close-range strike.
Wanderers had been second best up to that point but came out fighting after the break and were quickly level thanks to an excellent goal. A fine through-ball from Louis Evans released Ritchie, who perfectly picked out Lewis in the penalty area to drive the ball home with a first-time finish.
Lewis could then have won it just before the end of normal time following another Ritchie pass but when the two combined again in the first half of extra-time Wanderers led for the first time.
A deep cross from Tomiwa Adesina was played back across goal by Lewis to find Ritchie who capped another commanding performance with a perfectly-placed strike into the roof of the net from six yards out.
That looked to have killed Leicester off but in a late rally they found an equaliser when the ball dropped for Hugo de Lisle to ram the ball through a crowd of players and past Lomax.
But that was high point for the luckless de Lisle who then missed one of Leicester’s spot-kicks when he slipped and skewed his effort well wide.
Hutchinson also failed to score in the shoot-out as Lomax – whose two saves helped Wanderers knock Blackburn Rovers out of the LFA Youth Cup on penalties a week ago – made a fine stop from Hutchinson.
Sam Hopkinson also saw his effort saved by City keeper Marson as the tension was ramped up. But with four of his team-mates all on target no damage was done as the Whites secured a famous victory as the impressive Mawditt coolly delivered the final blow.
Wanderers: Lomax; O’Neill, Evans, Sixsmith (Fakhy 113); Kendrick (Lamb 112), Kirkpatrick (Hopkinson 75), Mawditt, Healy (Adesina 65); Ritchie; Lewis (Clement 99), Nuttall (Ogboru 64). Substitutes: Shillinglaw.
Booked: Mawditt, O’Neill, Ogboru
Leicester City: Toko, Diallo, Adedeji, Daniels; De Lisle, W Lawrence (Manyumba 106); Carr (Fletcher 103), Corden (Colangelo-Allen 65 replaced by Anugo 117), Owusu (Boothe 95); Hutchinson. Substitutes: H Lawrence, Simons.
Booked: None
Referee: James Atkinson
Images: Ben Livinsgtone
Watch the full interview with Julian Darby and a catch-up with shoot-out inner Jack Mawditt on Wanderers TV