City Start Their Campaign with Close but Deserved Victory
City Starting XI: Grimshaw(GK), Duhaney, Wood(Capt.), Oliver, Kigbu(Bullock 80), Davenport, Buckley(Faour 82), Kongolo, Nmecha(Fernandes 74), Patching, Dilrosun.
Goals: Nmecha(46).
Unused Subs: Albinson(GK), Blackshaw.
City opened their U18s premier league season against a Liverpool side that they achieved the double over the previous season and Zackarias Faour scored a hat-trick in a five goal thriller in last season’s corresponding home fixture. So this fixture if you look back through the seasons has regularly produced goals but this season saw a solitary goal scored immediately after half time by the free scoring England youth international Lukas Nmecha separated the two sides at the final whistle.
The first half was pretty much one to forget for City and one that Liverpool will feel should have taken advantage of some really good chances to take the lead as the woodwork and Daniel Grimshaw in the City goal thwarted the red half of Merseyside.
City at the other end were not really able to carve out any archetypal clear chances for themselves that were a free shot on goal as there was always a defender in close attendance and so Ash Kigbu had to rush at his shot and dragged it wide and Will Patching never really set himself to fire in a shot that would worry Wheeler in the Liverpool goal.
The second half however started with a bang as the game had not passed the first minute when good work by Javairo Dilrosun found Marcus Wood who crossed low and onto the feet of Nmecha who’s excellent movement had allowed him the space away from the defender to side foot the shot past Wheeler.
Just two minutes after that opener and both sides had great opportunities to score with Liverpool clean through on the break but a combination of Grimshaw and Oliver did enough to prevent the shot and then City with Dilrosun on the edge of the area but the shot was not enough to beat Wheeler.
Dilrosun then went on a marauding run up field as he drifted off to the left and then beat his defender and fired a rasping shot on the angle that Wheeler got a hand to and tipped it onto the bar and bounced up and unfortunately for City it failed to fall back into the path of a City player to take advantage of.
City were moving the ball much quicker and from that movement City were awarded a corner that was flicked on well and Charlie Oliver met the ball in space with power but it went sailing over the bar.
City made a few changes as the half wore on but despite dominating much of the play were only really able to create one more decent chance as Dilrosun on the left curled a lovely ball into the area over the defence and there was substitute Paolo Fernandes to touch the ball but it was ever so slightly heavy as it allowed Wheeler to come out and smother the ball.
City suffered a slight scare in the ninety fourth minute when Liverpool won a corner and had it not been for a timely challenge from Jacob Davenport could have been in a very good position to equalize.
Liverpool called off the responding U16s fixture and so City arranged an overage allowed U16s friendly with Crewe Alexander at the CFA which City won 5-0 with Brahim Diaz being the star of the game apparently whilst he awaits his international clearance to play for the U18s and older.
Posted in Academy Match Reports by Gavin Cooper/Andrew Waldon.