Watford are bidding to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals on Friday and their youngsters got the ball rolling after the Under-18s defeated Ipswich Town 4-1 to reach the last-eight of the FA Youth Cup last night.

The Hornets, who had knocked out Birmingham City and Southampton in the previous rounds, produced a dominant display at Wingate & Finchley to book a quarter-final tie at Leicester on Saturday, March 2.

Watford got off to the ideal start, taking the lead after just five minutes when Jayden Bennetts fired in a superb left-footed strike.

The hosts doubled their lead midway through the half when captain Ryan Cassidy found the net.

Ipswich conceded a penalty shortly afterwards and Cassidy fired home to score his fourth goal in two games in the competition.

Thomas Hughes pulled a goal back for the visitors before the break to give them hope going into the second half.

But Watford sealed their place in the quarter-final when Bennetts scored his second goal of the game.

Watford Under-18s: Baptiste; Langston, Hudson, Tricker, Maclean; Adebiyi, Phillips, Sankoh, Bennetts; Blu-Lo Everton, Cassidy