Blackburn and City Draw Battle.

BRFC U18s 2 – 2 MCFC U18s

City’s final re-arranged league game of the season away to Blackburn Rovers was the usual tempestuous affair that these two teams seem to have for some reason. The result was a very fair one, but in no way helped by one of the worst referee’s I have seen in a long time. The only thing you could say that he was consistently appalling for both teams.
Goals from Michael Daly and Adam Clayton were replied by two fine strikes from the Blackburn players; both shots coming from the edge of the area.
The news that Ched Evans has been ruled out for the season is a big blow for the academy and so City lined up with a 4-3-3 formation with David Ball spearheading the front line with Karl Moore and Donal McDermott on either side.
The first half was a very even affair and there was quite a few stoppages but the referee blew half time at nil nil when Blackburn had just won a corner and failed to allow the play on; much to the wrath of the Blackburn players and their coaching staff.
Blackburn started the second the slightly better team and was no surprise to see them take the lead on the fifty sixth minute with a strike from the Blackburn player when he sent the City defender the wrong way to create space for the shot.
Two minutes later there was an altercation between Curtis Obeng and the Blackburn number three. Obeng was luck to stay on the field after he retaliated from the original foul; but the referee only booked both players. Obeng was substituted at that point for Javan Vidal.
City tried to press the game, but the Blackburn defence held firm and so for the last twenty minutes the front three was changed by the final two substitutions of James Poole and Vladimir Weiss for Ball and McDermott.
With just over ten minutes to go Weiss won a deserved penalty, but pontin’s league taker, Poole, saw his bottom corner effort saved.
City won a corner with five minutes to go after the Blackburn keeper parried a Garry Breen effort wide of goal from an Adam Clayton free kick. Paul Marshall took the corner and Daly rose unchallenged to head home.
Right on the stroke of ninety minutes Blackburn saw their number eleven very harshly dismissed for a very fair challenge. Two minutes into stoppage time the ball ran through for Karl Moore who looked marginally off-side but the referee’s assistant allowed play on and Moore ran to goal and played Clayton in to nullify the keeper’s position and allow Clayton to finish in the bottom corner.
Within a minute Blackburn were deservedly level when City fail to close down the player and his low shot was able to find the bottom corner.

City: Mentel(GK), Obeng(Vidal 58), Mee, McDonald, Breen(Capt.), Marshall, Clayton, M Daly, Ball(Poole 70), McDermott(Weiss 68), Moore.

City’s U16s were unfortunate to lose their final game 1-0 as they replicated their older colleagues by missing a penalty as well.