YOUNG Cherries’ run in the FA Youth Cup came to an end in the fifth round of the competition, with the eventual 5-1 scoreline flattering Leicester City.

Cherries under-18s manager Alan Connell was correct to label the young Foxes as “one of the best in the country”, with the Leicester side beaten just once in their league – the top division of under-18s football. To advance to this round, the Foxes had beaten last year’s FA Youth Cup winners, Aston Villa, highlighting their quality.

However it was hard to tell the difference in leagues on the pitch early on, with Cherries creating more chances in the opening exchanges.

Some lovely interplay with Dacosta Gonzalez and Lewis Brown down the right flank yielded the first shot of the game, with Marucs Daws’ effort pushed out for a corner.

Shortly after Cherries would come knocking again, when a sloppy pass out the back from Leicester captain Sammy Braybrooke saw Noa Boutin pick up the ball and fire towards Arlo Doherty in the Foxes’ goal.

The young shotstopper managed to tip the strike out for a corner, which Cherries could not use to great effect.

After the early flurry of activity for the hosts, Leicester slowly grew into the game.

Shortly after the half-hour mark, the Foxes would take the lead through Will Alves.

A driving run from Joe Wormleighton allowed Alves to pick-up the ball in the box before placing it beneath Ollie Camis in the Cherries goal.

Whilst the opener was clinical, Leicester’s second will quickly be forgotten for Cherries. A mix-up between Finn Tonks and Camis saw the ball fall kindly for Chris Popov, who duly smacked the ball home for the Foxes’ second.

After the quick sucker punch of two goals in three minutes, Cherries managed to see out the rest of the half without little event.

In the second half the hosts stepped up the energy, really taking the game to Leicester.

With a much more intense press, Cherries won the ball back through Dacosta Gonzalez, with the loose ball falling for Lewis Brown.

The midfielder lofted the ball over ‘keeper Doherty from 30 yards, sparking a potential comeback for Cherries. The goal marked the first time Foxes had conceded in this year’s competition.

Cherries almost made it two shortly after, with a Dacosta Gonzalez free-kick ending up just the wrong side of the post. Daws repeated the trick minutes later, with his long-range effort narrowly fizzing past the woodwork.

All of Cherries’ good work was undone shortly after when Leicester hit them on the break. Foxes captain Sammy Braybrooke latched onto a loose ball in the area to fire home and restore the away’s side two goal lead.

Deflated by the third goal, the game petered out until the last 10 minutes.

With Cherries chucking men forward in search of a way back into the game, Leicester scored two similar goals on the counter to seal the game off.

Substitute Brandon Cover rounded off both counters with calm finishes to send Leicester comfortably through to the quarter finals, where they will face either Manchester United or Everton.

Cherries: Camis (g/k); Tonks (Johnson, 65), Boutin, Okoh, Palmer, Bevan (c), Dacosta Gonzales, Brown (Kinsey-Wellings, 87), Adu-Adjei, Harris (Williams, 87), Daws

Unused subs: Rees-Dottin, Crisp (g/k), Boot, Morgan

Booked: Brown

Leicester City: Doherty (g/k); Nelson, Lindsay, Braybrooke (c), WIlson-Brown, Godsmark-Ford, Wormleighton, Cartweight, Popov (Briggs, 87), Alves, Butterfill (Cover, 77’)

Unused subs: Grist, Chibeuze (g/k), Cook, Kutshienza, Lewis,

Booked: Braybrooke, Godsmark-Ford

Referee: Alex Blake