Stoke Beaten at the Death

SCFC U18s 1 - 2 MCFC U18s

City were not at their best as there was four changes to their usual line up and undeservedly snatched a winner in the ninety fourth minute in which a John Guidetti header was deflected in off a Stoke head. City had gone in front from Abdi Ibrahim but Stoke had drew level within three minutes in the first half.

City were without Greg Cunningham, Andrew Tutte, Ahmed Benali and Keran Trippier was on the bench and so in came Tom Smith, Omar Elabdellaoui, Jeremy Helan and Jack Redshaw. Without Tutte and Trippier starting; Dedryck Boyata took the responsibility of wearing the arm band.

City took the lead in the twenty fourth minute when Alex Nimley-Tchuimeni was fouled in the Stoke half and Chris Chantler sent a ball to the far post but the ball came back to the un-marked Ibrahim who slotted home from about five yards out.

Stoke drew themselves level three minutes later direct from a free kick on the left that went through everyone and in to the far corner of the goal.

The second half saw a rather tempestuous affair as the referee seemed to lose a bit of control as players on both sides pushed things too far and ultimately a Stoke player paid the price with a red card after a second yellow for dissent.

City made some changes by bringing Trippier and Guidetti on and Trippier immediately took the arm band back of Boyata and City looked a better balanced side with these two on.

City's winner came when Redshaw made a strong run down the left and sent in a decent cross that was put behind for a corner. Trippier whipped in the dead ball and Guidetti rose well but his header clipped off the top of the Stoke player's head.

City's win now puts them fifteen points clear of Manchester United as they have not played today as this was usually a week off for the academies but City have used this to play the re-arranged fixture from December. There is no league game next week as we are in action in the youth cup quarter final against Norwich at the City of Manchester stadium on Saturday with a 2pm kick off.


City: Clegg(GK), Smith(Trippier 69), Chantler, Wabara(Carter 84), Boyata, Elabdellaoui, Redshaw, Ibrahim, Mak, Nimley-Tchuimeni, Helan(Guidetti 69).

Subs: Mitchell.

Good news for the U16s as they finally ended their run without a win with a one nil victory; but I must say that they have been performing quite well during that barren spell despite many under age players.

Rochdale Do the Double

RAFC Reserves 3 - 2 MCFC Reserves

Rochdale seem to have the hoodoo over City at the moment as they secured a league double over us this afternoon at Rossendale's Dark Lane ground. City came from one nil down thanks to an own goal and a goal from Jack Redshaw; but Dale equalized in the first half. Rochdale then scored a late solo goal from experienced Lee McEvilly to secure the points.

City started brightly as in the fourth minute a Kingsley Grandison corner was headed goal wards by Peta Varga and cleared off the line. Slightly against the run of play Rochdale took the lead five minutes later when new signing Craig Dawson from Radcliffe Borough rose unchallenged to head home a corner at the far post.

Two minutes later City were level themselves when a Grandison corner was knocked on and Rochdale's George Bowyer could not get out of the way as he diverted the ball past goalkeeper Sam Russell into the far corner of the goal.

In a quick turnaround City found themselves infront when Jeremy Helan sent a deep cross from the left that the smallest man on the pitch rose really well at the far post to send a looping header to the back post and into the goal.

Rochdale were back on level terms on the half hour mark as their best player in the first half Joseph Reidy cut in from the left wing and found enough space to fire in a twenty five yard shot that goalkeeper James Wood might have done better with as he had full sight and he got a hand to the ball but he allowed it to sneak into the far corner of the goal.

Redshaw went on a strong run with two minutes before the break and was brought down right on the edge of the area; but the little man's free kick curled just over.

The second half was pretty much a non event apart from the final couple of minutes when City allowed McEvilly to run from just inside the City half past a few City challenges and into the area before slipping the ball under an advancing Wood in the eighty ninth minute.

City responded a minute later with good play by Omar Elabdellaoui pushed the ball to Guidetti who fired a curling and dipping shot towards the top corner that Russell did well to tip over for a corner.

City still remain top of the league on goal difference to Carlisle but City have played two games less but must now probably beat Burnley home and away if they are to win the league title as Burnley are four points behind with three games in hand.


Rochdale: Russell(GK)(Capt.), Bowyer, Brizell, Byrne, Dawson, Evans, Kenyon(Buckley 59), Blackeley, Sheriff(Crank 46), McEvilly, Reidy.

Subs: Hanford(GK), Brown, Mallion.


City: Wood(GK), Smith, Carter(Capt.), Elabdellaoui, Varga, Paldan, Grandison, Mitchell, Redshaw, Guidetti, Helan.

Subs: E Johansen(GK), Paris, Frater, Kapsalopodas.

City March On at Everton

EFC U18s 1 - 3 MCFC U18s

City travelled to Everton's new training and academy facilities at Finch Farm having moved away from their Netherton site this season. Goals from Abdi Ibrahim, Alex Nimley-Tchuimeni and Dedryck Boyata after Everton had reduced arrears to two one in the first half.

City's march towards retaining the league group title continues apace with yet another decent victory at a team that always have the ability to cause you problems.

With Benali away on England duty in Portugal, City brought in Elabedallaoui to play wide right in the virtually unchanged line up. As per usual the rotation of Captain between Kieran Trippier and Andrew Tutte took place with Tutte wearing it today.

City should have taken the lead in the ninth minute when Greg Cunningham was fouled near the edge of the area and the referee tried to play advantage but when Greg was caught again he was left no option but to point to the spot. Nimley-Tchuimeni took the responsibility; but he did a lot of fanning about on his run up which indicates a placed penalty and so if the goalkeeper guesses the right way will nine times out of ten save them if he gets a good footing when he dives; and this time he did save it.

The goalkeeper after making the decent penalty save will probably want to forget City's first goal five minutes later as he allowed an Ibrahim header to loop over him from the edge of the area when the goalkeeper was no more than two yards out the header coming in after good work by Nimley and yet another dangerous cross from Trippier.

Everton could have conceded another penalty five minutes later when the Everton defender's arm came in the way of Nimley's shot but the ball came out to Trippier who sent in a lovely chipped cross to Nimley who evaded the defender to send in a low hard shot that went under the dive of the Everton goalkeeper.

Finch Farm has some great pitches but is very open there and so is very susceptible to a blowing wind and so Everton's midfielder had a decent header from a free kick that was wind assisted as it beat Joe Clegg in the City goal to cut City's lead in half.

The second half was quite physical as some over zealous challenges were not punished and the referee only booked the goalkeeper when he came out and handled out of the area to deny a one on one with Robbie Mak and so the game lost some of its fluidity. Late on, Everton went against the spirit of the game when a ball was kicked out through injury and they then made an attacking throw in that led to a corner.

City secured the points however when Cunningham was fouled just inside the Everton half on the left and Trippier with his trusty right foot whipped in a dangerous free kick over the Everton defence to the far post where the Kaiser himself was lurking and Dedryck made no mistake with a powerful header past the goalkeeper as he has done so many times before this season; seven in the league and one in the cup at Portsmouth.

City's lead at the top of their group has now been extended to twelve points with nine games remaining as Stoke did us a favour by beating Manchester United at Carrington today. City travel to Stoke next Saturday in their December re-arranged fixture.


City: Clegg(GK), Trippier, Cunningham, Wabara, Boyata, Tutte(Capt.), Elabedallaoui, Ibrahim, Mak(Redshaw 65), Nimley-Tchuimeni(Guidetti 81), Chantler.

Subs: Tse, Helan.


City's U16s have now gone over ten games without a victory as they drew nil nil.

Hull City The Paupers?

Not on this Evidence - Report By Andrew Waldon as I have made the early journey to Copenhagen for our UEFA match this Thursday.

City produce in ‘purrfect ‘display against Tigers

MCFC Reserves 1 - 2 HCFC Reserves

‘Life is a roller coaster’ a statement that is often quoted when you ask the average City fan on the street about his team’s latest performance and so it was too be in this display against a Hull side rooted to the bottom of the reserve league.

It was top versus bottom, surely three easy points for City to further cement their position at the top of the league and put some distance between themselves and nearest challengers Sunderland, but hey no this is City we watch, love and support and so it be as they slumped to defeat in a lacklustre display against a side who they had hammered early in the season

City gave a start to Kasper Schmeichel and Valeri Bojinov and Schmeichel was called into early action, having an extra outing before the UEFA Cup trip to his native Denmark, he made a good save with his legs from Nicky Featherstone, the loose ball however fell nicely for Will Atkinson to pounce and smash home from close range.

City were level with a quarter of an hour on the clock. Karl Moore swung in a fine cross from the right and David Ball, planted a firm looping header beyond the reach of veteran Hull keeper Tony Warner

Bojinov was looking eager and lively but obviously lacking match fitness and came off after sixty five minutes after seeing a couple of efforts on goal saved well by Warner He was understandably a touch rusty after such a long lay-off but his quality stood out . All though opinions among the meagre crowd were divided.

Hull's experienced midfielder Bryan Hughes fired in a long-range effort that forced Schmeichel into an excellent save to tip the ball over the bar. And it was his side who regained the lead after 59 minutes when Nathan Doyle scored from the spot after McGivern brought down Jamie Devitt just inside the box.

City’s Curtis Obeng had a chance to equalise on seventy minutes but his shot from a tight angle struck the foot of a post but it was not enough to prevent City slumping to defeat in a major blow for any title hopes they had .



Team: Schmeichel(GK), Obeng, McGivern, Mee, Brown, Kay, Moore (Trippier), Tsiaklis (Ibrahim), D Ball, Bojinov (Daly), McDermott

Subs: T Johansen (GK), Morris



Attendance: 269

Manchester United Lose Tight Junior Derby

MCFC U18s 1 - 0 MUFC U18s

A very tight game at Platt Lane today was won by City with a late goal from Ahmed Benali which leaves City nine points clear of second place Manchester United and in all fairness should have sealed the north west division academy title with that result; as with the quality and form of City it is hard to see them slipping up with at least four of the remaining eleven games.

United looked much the better side in the first half as their work rate, passing and eagerness to win back the ball was far better but they seemed to lack that extra bit of quality up front to really test City's defence with their quality approach play.

City for the most of the season have had slow starts to games and it was showing today as the midfield sat too deep at times and allowed United to come on to them. However of the first half City probably created the best chance when strong work from Robbie Mak on the left found his strong run beat the defender as he went to ground and was then allowed time and space on the dead ball line on the edge of the area to look up and perfectly lay the ball back and pick out an un-marked Greg Cunnngham; but he forgot he had a right foot as he scooped his left foot shot well wide from eight yards out. Greg made amends about five minutes later when he cleared a shot from a tight angle that was heading towards the inside of the far post and Greg cleared it off the line.

The second half was much more open and both teams put pressure on the defences but it was City that finally made the breakthrough in the eighty fourth minute when Abdi Ibrahim picked out Mak making a forward run on the left and he beat the defence to send in a deep cross the right hand side of the penalty area where Ahmed controlled the ball before jinking around the defence and miss-hitting the shot into the far corner of the goal.

City had goalkeeper Joe Clegg to thank for keeping the score at one nil a few minutes later when the ball was only half cleared to the number six on the edge of the area who struck a very fine shot through a crowded penalty area and Clegg with great reflexes saved the shot and warded the ball behind.


United brought on a couple of high profile players in the second half but City's defence was well drilled and organised and was the clear bedrock of this important victory. City's next game is their first and my first visit to Everton's Finch Farm training complex after moving away from their Netherton site.


City: Clegg(GK), Trippier(Capt.), Cunningham, Wabara, Boyata, Tutte, Benali, Ibrahim, Mak, Nimley-Tchuimeni, Chantler.

Subs: Hartley(GK), Redshaw, Guidetti, Tse, Elabedallaoui.


The U16s did not fair as well as they let a one nil goal lead slip to eventually lose two one.

Accrington Totesport Reserve Report

Stanley swept aside by Table topping City

Report by Andrew Waldon as I was in Malaga and Sevilla for England and the U21s.

MCFC Reserves 4 - 0 ASFC Reserves

A four goal salvo, with two coming in each half saw City’s young reserve side go top of the Totesport reserve league.

Swedish striker John Guidetti opened the scoring on 12 minutes against an Accrington side that contained three trialists. Jack Redshaws half hit shot went through the legs of the keeper stood on the six yard line allowing Guidetti a simple tap in. Redshaw then got his name on the score sheet with the first of two in the game, scoring on 28 minutes.

Very little was to be seen of the visitors, whose strength in numbers must surely have been depleted as their first team squad were playing at home against Brentford on the same day, with their one real chance coming just before the half time break when Eirik Johansen was forced to tip over his bar a cross come shot from the Accrington number 7.

Further goals arrived in the second half. Guidetti got his second of the game after Tom Smith chased a ball into the box and under a challenge from the Accrington keeper the ball only went as far as Craig Frater who crossed for the unmarked Swede to finish.

Redshaw earned City a penalty on 82 minutes , starting a move from some distance out he went past a couple of Accrington defenders only to be up ended in the box by the visitors number 4. Redshaw duly picked himself up and dispatched the awarded penalty to the left of the keeper.

Victory as mentioned sent City to the top of the league and with games against their nearest challengers next week, Carlisle United and Burnley, things could be looking very positive in a league where the City side, who mainly consist of players under the age of seventeen, constantly come up against sides with senior pros in them, and are holding their own

Team: E Johansen, Smith, Carter (Grandison), Elabedallaoui (Kapsalopodas), Tse, Paldan, Cieslewicz, Mitchell, Redshaw (Paris), Guidetti, Frater

Subs: Wood(GK), Varga


Attendance: 69

Youth Cup Saturday for Norwich

Thankfully City and Norwich have been able to arrange a very good date for this home quarter final youth cup tie. It will take place at the City of Manchester Stadium on Saturday 7th March with a 2pm kick off. It means as the first team are not playing that many City fans should be able to attend. It is not so fortunate for Norwich as they are away at Blackpool that day so their die hard fans have to make a choice which is always disappointing.

All academy games were postponed this weekend and so City's next academy fixture is against Manchester United at Platt Lane this Saturday with a 11am kick off. As United lie in second place in the league; six points behind City, it could perhaps be described as a title decider. United are on a strong run of four decent league wins after we beat them at Carrington at the beginning of December where as City's league form as stuttered by their own high standards with two close victories and a fortunate draw at Liverpool.

Its Norwich!

City will face Norwich City at home in the quarter final of the FA Youth Cup probably later this month; after Norwich got a very credible draw that took Everton to extra time this evening and Norwich won on penalties.

Liverpool also produced a good result this evening by beating one of the favourites and last year's finalist's Chelsea by a score of one nil.

City Allow Newcastle a Late Flourish

MCFC Youth 4 - 2 NUFC Youth

City after being three nil up with goals from Greg Cunningham, Robbie Mak and Alex Nimley Tchuimeni and with Newcastle being down to ten men, City allowed them to score two late goals from Kazenga LuaLua to give them a faint hope that the tie could be taken into extra time had they scored that crucial equalizer; however City were not to be denied as they raced up the other end and Mak scored a nutmeg finish with the last kick of the game.

With City having such a long break over the Christmas period the team seem to have struggled to find that autumn form and so to face such a quality side such as Newcastle in the youth cup could have been quite a bit of a test for the baby blues.

Newcastle showed their intentions in the first minute when one of their defenders clattered into the back of Nimley and his knock to the head kept him down for about three minutes. Once the game re-started both teams seemed to test each others strengths and neither team really created any real chances for about ten minutes.

City were the team that emerged from the probing as the team that were willing to show the desire to win the game as they started to out play Newcastle with some slick footballing moves. The first real chance came in the thirteenth minute when City won a corner from a Ahmed Benali cross. Kieran Trippier whipped in his usual quality of cross and the ensuing chances were blocked and it eventually came out to Dedryck Boyata who's shot smashed into the underside of the cross bar and bounced down on the line but the officials either did not see it properly or it actually did not cross the line but the ball came back out to the acrobatic Nimley who adjusted his body to do a trade mark over head bicycle kick but the referee blew for an infringement with play.

City continued to dominate the play but the chances were being snuffed out or not going on target. Their first effort that went on target for a while was a direct free kick by Cunningham into the bottom corner of the net that the Newcastle goalkeeper Max Johnson got down well as he got his body fully behind the ball.

City finally made their domination pay in the thirty seventh minute when Nimley was fouled about forty yards out and Trippier's resulting free kick was headed behind for a corner. Just like the previous set piece Trippier's quality of ball was excellent and there was Cunningham at the far post to powerfully head the ball down towards goal and the ball kicked well off the turf and looped into the corner of the net over a despairing dive by Johnson.

City nearly doubled their lead three minutes later when captain Andew Tutte played a ball through to the marauding Mak who pulled back a cross but Nimley was unable to really test Johnson as his effort was struck straight at him.

A minute before the break City did double their lead but this time it was Nimley that was the provider as he slipped a ball through to Mak who powered through the defence and looked to have taken the ball too close to Johnson; but the voracity of his shot took the ball through Johnson's hands and into the back of the net.

Bizarrely after the long stoppage in the first half with the Nimley injury and the couple of goals the fourth official put the board up for just one minute of added time; you really wonder how officials think at times.

Newcastle made a change at half time that altered their formation and that may have helped them as City seemed to have come out from their break a little bit cold and so Newcastle took the upper hand and could have reduced the deficit in the fifty first minute when a ball was not fully cleared came out to Newcastle's best player; LuaLua and his shot forced Joe Clegg to make a decent save.

That made City realise that they needed to step up their play again and they should have made it three nil in the fifty fifth minute when Nimley played a ball to the right for Benali who in turn immediately pushed a ball on, to react with Mak's run to beat the offside; but he put his effort was over Johnson and off target.

City did eventually give themselves a three goal cushion just over the hour mark when Trippier made a great run from his own half before releasing the ball into Benali who adjusted himself as he rounded a couple of defenders and got himself in a position ready to shoot but Nimley nipped in and took the ball off him to smash it into the back of the net.

Then the moment that seemed to change the pattern of the game when Newcastle's midfielder Bradden Inman fouled Tutte after he had released the ball while they were forcing good attacking play and so he was rightly booked. The resulting free kick was sent into the box but Johnson was able to collect the ball. With all the players running back after this, clearly Inman allowed his frustration to boil over as he said something to the referee who was having nothing of it and produced a second yellow card and a red for the Newcastle youngster.

Just like the first team last Saturday I wish City had been proactive with this decision and put another attacking player straight on to put Newcastle on the back foot and not allow complacency in the team and give them chance to galvanise themselves.

So it was no surprise that Newcastle gave themselves a slight hope in the seventy sixth minute as City had stopped playing and were dropping too deep as LuaLua made a very strong run from inside his own half and fired a powerful shot from thirty yards that seemed to squirm under Clegg's body and into the back of the goal.

That slight hope became real belief as the game went into the three minutes of stoppage time when Newcastle were awarded a free kick that again LuaLua sweetly stuck over the wall and into the back of the goal past the attempted save of Clegg.

City kicked off and fortunately for the majority of watching fans within a minute Tutte had made a driving run from his own half and then released the ball out to the left for Mak who surged into the box and saw that Johnson had spread his legs and so Mak cheekily shot through his legs and into the goal as the referee blew the final whistle as the blues celebrated the goal and victory into the quarter finals of the cup.

City's opponents of either Everton or Norwich play their match this evening; but it is scheduled to be played at Widness' Halton Stadium and with the weather as it is and as rugby league is mainly a summer sport I am not so sure whether they have adequate provisions to cope and so unless the game is switched back to Goodison Park the game might be postponed.



City: Clegg(GK), Trippier, Cunningham, Wabara, Boyata, Tutte(Capt.), Benali, Ibrahim, Mak, Nimley-Tchuimeni(Redshaw 89), Chantler.

Subs: E Johansen(GK), Guidetti, Tse, Elabdallaoui.


Newcastle: Johnson(GK), Tavernier, Ferguson, Donaldson(Capt.), Taylor, Henderson, McCrudden, Inman(Off 64), Ranger, Vuckic(Dummett 46), LuaLua.

Subs: Alnwick(GK), Ameobi, Williams, McDermott.


Att: 905.