Champions! Preston North End U18s beat Portsmouth to win EFL Youth Alliance Cup

Preston North End Under-18s beat Portsmouth 3-1 to win the EFL Youth Alliance Cup on Tuesday.

Held at Pompey’s Fratton Park, North End’s young guns lifted the trophy for the second time in three seasons. Preston had booked their place in the final after beating Grimsby Town in the northern final, while Portsmouth saw off Plymouth Argyle. A toss of a coin decided the venue for the national final, with PNE given the long trip down south.

Theo Mawene was in the North End side, having been training with the first team in recent weeks. And it was he who drew Pompey goalkeeper, Malachi Osei-Owusu, into action twice inside the first three minutes. Mawene’s free-kick was tipped wide, before seeing his strike from distance kept out. But, Preston did find a way through after seven minutes - Theo Carroll slotting home from close range, after Felipe Rodriguez-Gentile kept the ball alive.

North End, though, were pegged back just six minutes later when Harry Clout popped up at the back post to equalise. Jonny Brindle and Max Wilson then took aim from range for PNE, before the young Lilywhites hit the front again. Rodriguez-Gentile, who has signed a professional deal until 2026, applied the finish on 30 minutes after being played through on goal. And things got even better for North End, before the break. With a couple of minutes remaining in the first half, Kacper Pasiek’s cross found its way to Troy Tarry - who made no mistake at the back post.

Pompey goal scorer, Clout, had the first meaningful effort of the second half - but PNE goalkeeper, Tommy Davis, was equal to his left footed effort. North End maintained their two goal cushion as the half progressed, with Pasiek drilling over the crossbar on 70 minutes. Brindle then came close to scoring from a corner, with his delivery rattling the woodwork.

PNE starting XI: Davis; Blake, Wilkinson, McGhee, Tarry, Brindle, Wilson (c), Pasiek, Carroll (Goldsmith 90’), T Mawene, Rodriguez-Gentile. PNE subs: Stowell, Critchley, Stringfellow, Garrigan.