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Barclays Under 18 Academy League
Saturday 22nd February 2014
City: O'Brien, Smith-Brown, Oseni, Bossaerts, Tasende (Wassi), Byrne, Celina, Ntcham (Holland), Ambrose (Bryan), Boadu, Barker
Unused: Albinson (Gk), Intima
Goals: Ntcham, Celina
City's under 18 side got back to winning ways with a comfortable but hard earned victory.....
City got off to the best possible start when Ntcham fired home within the first five minutes, converting the first real opening of the game. Celina passed the ball out to Barker on the left, who fed Jack Byrne. The Irish youth international layed it off for Ntcham, whose powerful shot from the edge of the area left the keeper with no chance.
Despite that, a young Blackburn side defended really well in the first half, but couldn't retain possession well enough to make any meaningful impact on the City goal.
The visitors however started the second half brightly and equalised on 51 minutes. Bossaerts gave away a free kick within shooting range, and while Billy O’Brien pulled off an excellent save to tip Jack Doyle’s effort onto the post, he could do nothing to stop Luke Acapo Kandi (on trial from Chelsea)from tucking home the rebound.
After that the game could have gone either way but it was City who grabbed the all-important second goal which would seal the victory. While the Blues created sustained pressure from a number of corners and crosses but somehow a defender was always able to scramble clear.
City’s winning goal came from Bersant Celina and what a goal it was. Fine attacking play by Bersant Celina saw the winger cut in from the right before beating Callum Williams with an outstanding left-foot shot that went in off the far post.
There was a late flurry of chances for City to try and add to their tally ,Yvan Wassi was inches away from connecting with a Barker cross after Blackburn failed to clear a corner and Boadu was denied by the keeper’s legs when one on one.
Smith-Brown was desperately unlucky not to make it three with virtually the last kick of the game, drawing a fantastic save from Callum Williams in the Blackburn net with a stinging shot across the face of goal.
Next fixture up is a top of the table clash with Everton, where a point or victory would further enhance their position at the top of the table with games in hand over their Merseyside rivals.
The under 16's also had a good day, going in at the half time break at 1-1 and having had a penalty saved, they had an excellent second half and ran out 5-1 winners
Posted in Academy Match Reports by Gavin Cooper/Andrew Waldon.