Ambrose hatrick secure victory
FA U18 Premier League
23rd November 2013
City: O’Brien, Maffeo (Celina),Tasende (Bryan), Oseni, Oliver, Horsfield, Smith Brown, Boadu, Ambrose (Lema), Barker, Intima
Unused: Albinson (GK), Humphreys
Goals: Ambrose (3), Horsfield, Intima
After a decent start to the season, City’s U18s academy side suffered a mensis horribilis during September where they lost all three games they played. However since that game they have forged a real team ethos that has seen them take sixteen points from their last six games; and with this latest five three victory away to Blackburn Rovers, they secured a fifth win on the bounce. Four first half goals with a first half hat-trick from Thierry Ambrose and a penalty from James Horsfield made the second half a much closer affair with City losing the half two one with City’s fifth goal coming from Jorge Intima.
City started this match off with real purpose and with a strong run into the penalty by Intima all the way from his own half but the run drew a clumsy challenge from the Blackburn defender and the referee had no alternative but to award the spot kick. Horsfield duly stepped up and fired down the middle of the goal with the goalkeeper making an early dive.
Intima was then harshly booked by the referee after the goalkeeper had spilt an Angelino Tasende free kick away from his body and Jorge ran in for the 50/50 ball and of course there was a collision and the goalkeeper took a fair blow but it was clearly a legitimate challenge.
Just five minutes later and City had doubled their lead when they moved the ball across to the left this time and Tasende sent in a telling cross that Ambrose is able to move off his marker and head in at the near post.
Two became three with nearly ten minutes remaining of the half when the attack switched flanks again to the right when Jorge Intima ran in and crossed the ball with real pace that allowed Ambrose to rise well and use the pace on the ball to head it across the goalkeeper and into the opposite corner of his first goal.
Blackburn had created chances of their own in the first half but both Nathaniel Oseni and Charlie Oliver had got back well to block or tackle but neither could stop Jordan Preston from getting into space to head past Billy O’Brien to reduce the deficit after moments earlier hitting the post.
City restored their three goal cushion with just a couple of minutes remaining of the half when Thierry Ambrose burst through on the left side of the area and saw his initial shot saved but picked up the rebound to score his third and hat-trick goal.
Tasende after playing against Stoke in the U21 cup at Nantwich less than 48 hours earlier was understandably substituted at half time and replaced by Kean Bryan and so City went to three at the back with Ashley Smith-Brown and Pablo Maffeo playing in wing-back roles.
City were not quite as vibrant going forward in the second half till Bersant Celina came on and Horsfield went to the full-back role but the dynamic of the midfield became much more attacking and within minutes City had scored their fifth goal when Denzeil Boadu went on a strong run and then played a lovely through ball across and into the area for Intima to run onto and fire across the goalkeeper and into the corner of the goal.
City carried on pushing forward and with that slightly more attacking midfield allowed Blackburn to break down their right and a succession of half tackles allowed a shot in the area which O’Brien did well to save but there was Preston to tap in the rebound.
Two became three goals for Blackburn and just like City having a striker score a hat-trick Blackburn’s Jordan Preston converted his brace into the three goals when Kean Bryan was very sloppy and tried to pass the ball across thirty yards from goal with no cover and into Preston’s path as he gleefully excepted the gift and ran in to fire past O’Brien. City now face top of the table Everton at Platt Lane knowing that they will have to show more concentration at the back if they are to ensure all three points.