City See off Tykes

MCFC U18s 2 - 1 BFC U18s
(Report thanks to Andrew Waldon)
The academy opened their home campaign with a narrow victory over Barnsley, to follow up last weeks resounding triumph at Watford.

With it being the first home game of the season, it was of interest to many of the regular followers of City’s junior sides as to which players would comprise the make up of the academy U18 side and they were probably left perplexed by the fact that six first year academy players (from an intake of 16) were in the starting line up, therefore leaving them with little or no idea as to what the side would be in future fixtures.

Many regular faces from the team were missing and this was probably due to the fact they had been on international duty mid week or had played in two reserve games during the week, why this should happen is one of the great mysteries about our club, with at least half a dozen or more regular squad players not having featured at any level since pre-season,

Barnsley’s side featured two former City academy players Danny Warburton and Jamil Adams. It was Warburton who gave Barnsley the lead, finishing from close range, five minutes before the half time break, but that lead lasted all of thirty seconds when Adrian Cieslewicz levelled things. Adrian incidentally is of Polish descent but hails from The Faroe Islands just to add to the multi cultural selection of players not only at first team level but also in the academy.

Donal McDermott gave City the lead mid way through the second half drilling home from just inside the box after one of his familiar dashes down the left wing. He celebrated with some kind of a cart wheel, which he obviously needs to improve on as it caused much merriment amongst his fellow academy scholars watching from the side lines.

Both sides continued to contrive chances but it was City who ran out winners and made it two wins out of two.

Team

Hartley, Robinson, Chantler, Paldan, Ramsey, Tsiaklis, Weiss (Tutte), Ibrahim, Cieslewicz (I Daly), Redshaw (Mak), McDermott

Subs: Clegg (GK), Kay


Next Game: Newcastle United (Away).The U16’s new season also starts on this day.


Andrew Waldon