Trotters hit on Treble Win

BWFC Reserves 0 - 2 MCFC Reserves

City continued their winning run to three against near bottom of the table side Bolton Wanderers at a very wet wintry windswept Lancashire FA at Leyland. Goals either side of half time by Marc Laird and Ishmael Miller respectively sealed the much needed three points to keep on the top three's coat-tails.

The first half conditions were near unplayable as the rain came down incessantly and strong winds gusted mainly in City's favour and it was City who took the lead from a cross from the left by Ashley Grimes that Bolton could not clear and City inter played it eventually to Laird who curled the ball into the far corner past Ian Walker in goal.

The game's most interesting point came on seventy minutes when Shaleum Logan was very late and from behind, pole-axed Pedersen. Nicky Hunt then ran twenty yards to remonstrate with Logan, but obviously said something to the referee in response to Logan only receiving a yellow card and was duly shown a straight red card and was dismissed from the field of play.

This seemed to give City a real edge and with the rain abeiting, so did Bolton's defence on seventy six minutes when Miller stormed through from a Mills long ball and coolly slotted his right footed shot underneath Walker to confirm the final two nil score-line even though the game seemed to have a real needle towards the end City held out collecting another booking along the way.

Bolton: Walker(GK), Hunt, Stott, Perez(Roddy 82), Ellis, Fojut(Capt.), Thompson(Sinclair 46), Hill, Pedersen, Jamieson, Smith(Wolfe 82).

Subs: Kazimerczak(GK), Charlesworth.

City: Weaver(GK), Sommeil(Ward 46), Logan, D'Laryea, Mills(Capt.), Reyna(Johnson 59), Croft, Laird, Miller, Wright-Phillips, Grimes(Moore 73).

Subs: Matthewson(GK), C Evans.

Att: 189.


MotM: Mills - commanded the back four well and did well after such a horror tackle on his ankle last week at Morecambe.

City Win The Battle of the Manchester Nerves

MCFC Youth 1 - 0 MUFC Youth

A lacklustre display from both teams lead to a lot of very nervous players as neither team strived to take on their opponents with confident runs; but a half cleared corner led to Kelvin Etuhu being able to turn sharply in the box and fire hard and low, five minutes from time to win the quarter final derby tie and send City into the semis; the first time in four season where we were humbled home and away by a hard working Middlesbrough side.

City will have to perform far better than tonight if they are to go that step further to the Sky televised double leg final. I think the main difference between the two sides were the goalkeepers at set pieces. Lawrence Matthewson was commanding and grabbed the ball at all opportunities, where as United's German goalkeeper, Ron Zieler always looked tentative. And so it was from a City set piece that was united's undoing because I think we would still be watching while I was drawing my pension before City scored in open play.

In so much contrast to City last Wednesday against Liverpool; Marshall and Johnson were dominant in the midfield, they seemed to be hiding in their shells this evening as large gaps appeared between our forward line and the midfield.

I'd like to positive about the game, but I'm afraid the only positive aspect was the result and I'm sure all the coaching staff will have a similar view. Yet again though we saw an abject display from the so called superstar Daniel Sturridge who limped of the field after injuring himself doing a dying swan impression. His replacement, Ched Evans brought much more urgency to City's play but still only managed to produce two more shots at goal.

City's goal came from a corner, now unusually Paul Marshall take the corners, but Moore was designate corner taker, and perhaps that added height of Marshall in and around the box made United less composed as they architected their own downfall as they failed to clear Moore's average cross field ball and Ched Evans was able to stab a neat short pass to Kelvin for him to spin sharply and fire the ball home and send the near 6,000 City faithful home happy in their ability to brag all day long to their long suffering Manchester United colleagues.

City will now hope to meet Brighton as they have done remarkably well to get this far with being a club that does not hold full academy status like all three of the other semi-finalists.


City: Matthewson(GK), Obeng, Logan, Williamson, Breen, Marshall, Williams, Johnson(Capt.), Etuhu, Sturridge(C Evans 66), Moore.

Subs: Vadon(GK), S Evans, McDonald, Mouritsen.


United: Zieler(GK), Gray, Lee, Cathcart, Shawcross, Rose, Mullan, Gibson(Capt.), Campbell, Hewson(Brandy 73), Evans.

Subs: Lea, Amos Burns, Chester.

Att: 6,492.

MotM: Matthewson - made a couple of top quality saves, and commanded his area well.

Reserves Score Back to Back League Wins

BRFC Reserves 1 - 2 MCFC Reserves

For the first time since September, City secured three points in successive league games and also did the league double over their north west rivals, Blackburn at the northerly M6 motorway treck to Morecambe's Christie Park. City had come from one nil down after Blackburn had taken the lead early on, against the run of play, but a brace of goals by Ishmael Miller either side of half time, the second will be acredited to Bradley Wright Phillips, but the ball had already crossed the line when the goalie flicked it back to Bradley after Miller's initial touch from Willo Flood's cross; was enough to earn City three deserved points and still give them an outside chance of a top three league finish.

Full Report tomorrow Evening......

U18s keep on Winning

LFC U18s 1 -2 MCFC U18s

City travelled to Kirkby for their re-arranged Saturday home fixture against Liverpool. The game was played in extremely blustery conditions with each half having the advantage or disadvantage of the wind. City were hit with the sucker punch of a Liverpool goal right on the stroke of half time whilst playing into the wind. The second half saw a powerful non-stop running display by Ched Evans, part of the make-shift City forward line as Kelvin Etuhu and Danny Sturridge were both absent. Evans' running produced a mistake by the Liverpool goalkeeper and allowed Ched to nip in and score the equalizer. City's winner was oh so sweet as it was scored on the stroke of full after a corner was not cleared and Michael Johnson skipped pasted a couple of defenders and fired a fine left foot shot low and hard into the bottom corner past the goalkeeper. The result was that much better as the referee had clearly given too much advantage to the home side and had made some basic dead ball decisions wrong.

City: Matthewson(GK), Obeng, Logan, Williamson, MacDonald(Breen), Marshall, Williams, Johnson, C Evans, Grimes(Vidal), Moore.

Subs: Vadon, S Evans, Mouritsen.

City U16 played later and I was unable to stay to watch that match.

Predator Bradley against the Black Cats

MCFC Reserves 4 - 0 SAFC Reserves

After a dull first thirty minutes where Sunderland were mainly the dominant team, Bradley Wright-Phillips pounced to produce a great striking display and score a fine hat-trick of goals. City's fourth came from the boot of Ishmael Miller after many earlier attempts to score during the match.

City's first goal came from good work from Danny Mills and Lee Croft down the right and Mill's pass came into the box which Bradley was alert to and evaded the two defenders and finished into the bottom corner.

City's second again came from the right, this time a Croft cross that Bradley reacted quickest to and turn and touched the ball on before firing a deflected shot past Trevor Carson in the Sunderland goal.

Kasper Schmeichel then produced a fine one on one save with Ian Graham just moments later to keep the score two nil going into the break after a mistake by Jordan who ten minutes before Bradley's second goal was lucky to still be on the pitch after hauling down Graham when bearing down on goal about twenty five yards out, but the referee decided only a caution was necessary.

City's third goal was the best of the evening. It came from a free kick on the right, just inside the Sunderland half; Croft lofted the ball over and Bradley's first touch and crontrol was tremendous as it enabled him to swivel with pace and volley left footed into the far top corner without so much as a blink of an eye.

City's fourth came from an intially great long range visionary pass by Marc Laird who found Croft in acre's of space down the left, but Croft yet again failed to deliver a good cross and luckily for City, Sunderland failed to clear and Miller picked up the loose ball and skipped pasted the defenders before lashing a low left foot drive into the bottom corner of the net. This was after City had been playing with an enforced ten men after Ben Thatcher had to leave the field of play before the full ninety and City had used all three subs.

City: Schmeichel(GK), D Mills(D'Laryea 68), Thatcher, Laird, M Mills, Jordan, Croft, Sturridge(Johnson 46), Wright-Phillips, Miller, Flood(Capt.)(Logan 62).

Subs: Matthewson(GK), Ward.

MoM: Bradley - Confidence is obviously the key to him starting to show some real goal scoring ability.

Att: 372.

City Youth Through to Face United in Quarters

City's youth team progressed through to the quarter final stages of the FA Youth cup and an attractive home fixture with Trafford United, following a convincing away victory against Nottingham Forest.

It looked as though it was going to be a case of deja vu from the West Ham game for the hundred or so Blues dotted around Forest's main stand as City completly dominated the opening ten minutes and should have been four up if they had converted all their chances. Danny Sturridge dragged a shot wide when through on goal and then the Forest keeper denied Sturridge with a great save before Kelvin Etuhu opened the scoring with yet another goal. Using his electric pace he burst away down the left cut inside and running across the box finished from six yards out.

City's dominance continued and when Etuhu found himself on the end of a Karl Moore pass his chipped shot from the edge of the box struck the underside of the bar and bounced to safety.
Forest then slowed the game down and a worrying trend looked as though it would develop as City continued to spurn chance after chance. Michael Johnson sent a free kick just wide of goal and the keeper turned another shot from Etuhu to safety.

City fans began to get anxious and rightly so as Forest had what turned out to be their only goal scoring chance of the game right on the stroke of half time. Michah Richards mistake in the box was capatalised on by the Forest Number 8, (name unknown because if you believed the match announcer and that the teams were as per team sheet then City would have Started with Garry Breen in goals , Ched Evans at right back and a whole host of other players who started the game, on the bench) and he forced Laurence Matthewson into a fine save at the foot of his right hand post.

Sturridge continued to spurn goal scoring chances.Now their is no doubt this young prodigy is majestic in the box but outside of it he has a lot to learn. The sides anxieties were however relieved on seventy nine minutes with a superb solo goal from Karl Moore, which started out at being from seventy yards out , then became eighty before deciding it started from the half way line at Notts County's ground, whatever distance it was it sure was a delight to watch the ball hit the back of the net.

Ched Evans came on late for Etuhu and in the dying minutes wrapped things up for City with an overhead kick from centre of the edge of the box.
Team: Matthewson, Obeng, Logan,Williamson, Richards, Marshall, Williams, Johnson, Etuhu (C Evans), Sturridge, Moore Subs: Vadon(GK), S Evans, McDonald, Breen

MOM. Ethhu his pace worried a poor Forest back four all night

Attendance:1631

Report By: Andrew Waldon(Old Official Reserve Reporter)

Revised FA Youth cup draw
Game 1: Crystal Palace v Southampton
Game 2: Manchester City v Manchester United
Game 3: Newcastle v Brighton
Game 4: Liverpool v Carlisle
Semi Finals
Winners Game 4 v Winners Game 1 , Winners Game 3 v Winners Game 2

First Away Win of 2006

EFC U18s 1 - 2 MCFC U18s

Two second half goals from Ashley Grimes and substitute Ched Evans was enough to see City record back to back victories in the league, their first since October. This also meant that City went top of Academy group C having played their weekend fixture twenty four hours earlier than most.
City dominated most of the attacking play, never letting Everton's possession amount to anything. City, without a couple of their big guns in Shaleum Logan and Daniel Sturridge for most part looked the better side and Everton's goalkeeper, John Ruddy denied Kelvin Etuhu, Grimes and Karl Moore with a string of fine saves in the first half. Worrying for City though was that all these chances and not one had been converted.

City did hold firm and deservedly took the lead in the 61st minute with a fine 30 yard chip from Grimes over the hapless Ruddy. This drove Everton on and they pressed for the equalizer which came ten minutes later. A ball on City's left was not dealt with and Matthewson failed to stop the cross getting over and Matthew Elder was able to finish at the far post.

City almost went back in front straight from the kick off, but Kelvin's shot went wide whilst trying to round Ruddy. They did go in front however when both Grimes and Evans drove into the box and Grimes took a shot but it deflected of Evans, and into the very top corner of the goal, giving Ruddy no chance and thus securing City's second 3 point haul of 2006.

City travel to Nottingham Forest next Wednesday for the youth cup with a much stronger side, so if they play like they have today, they should have no problems.


City: Matthewson(GK), Obeng, Williamson, Breen, McDonald, Marshall(C Evans 46), Williams, Johnson(capt.), Etuhu, Grimes, Moore.

Subs: Vardon, S Evans, Mouritsen, Vidal.