Newcastle United U21s 0 Manchester City U21s 0 - Match Report

Stalemate Ends Top Place Finish

Barclays U21s Premier League
Monday 14^th April 2014 

City: Lawlor(GK), Bossaerts(Denayer), Tasende, Facey, Plummer, Bryan(Ntcham), Lopes(Capt.), Fofana, Cole, Glendon, Bytyqi(Hiwula)
Goals: None
Unused: O’Brien(GK), Leigh.

City missed the opportunity to challenge for first place and with it home advantage in the end of season play-offs when they failed to score away at Newcastle United’s Whitley Park to record a very uninspiring goalless draw after Patrick Vieira had rotated his squad in preparation for the second leg of the premier cup this Saturday at the Madejski.

After making the near three hundred and fifty mile return trip the game saw very little to make writing a match report enjoyable with plenty of action to describe and recall. A pleasant saving grace was the lovely sunny spring weather for a relaxed drive up to the north east.

Both sides had few chances in the first half to break the deadlock but City’s chances through Seko Fofana and Sinan Bytyqi and Devante Cole saw Jonathan Mitchell alert to the long range strike, a header and he had spread himself well at close range ending with all three being put behind for a corner.

Newcastle’s first chance was a half chance from Daniel Barlaser who’s long range chip just drifted wide of the post and the second chance fell when the ball ran across the edge of the area and Michael Richardson hit his first time half volley against the upper side of the crossbar.

The second half was perhaps less involving than the first and despite a late flurry from City to grab a stoppage time winner Mitchell’s goal was not really troubled on a game that had a real pre-season friendly feel to it that just never got going to the quality that we have seen City play for nearly six months now and will have to find a more cutting edge to their play if the season is going to end with winning the three trophies that City can still win.

So City’s next game is the second leg of the final with then a tough away game against Leicester City who are on a bit of a roll themselves and an Aston Villa game that has still yet to be arranged.