City Win Through in Youth Cup


MCFC U18s  3 – 2  CCFC U18s

City made heavy weather of getting through their first competitive round of the youth cup and onto the fourth round. A brace of goals from the academy’s prolific striker, Daniel Sturridge and one from Captain Micah Richards was eventually enough to see of Coventry City. The referee also contrived to try to eliminate City from the competition by awarding Coventry two very dubious penalties, but fortunately for City, Laurence Matthewson had the game of his life for City in goal and saved the first penalty and tipped it round the post.

City may have to re-asses their right back and left wing positions as neither player seemed comfortable in their natural positions and added nothing much to the team.

City’s first goal came in the seventh minute when Coventry’s goalkeeper, Cameron Belford mis-kicked his clearance straight to Kelvin Etuhu and it rebounded into the path of the on rushing Sturridge who shot straight into an empty net.

On twenty nine minutes Matthewson pulled off the save of his life with his out stretched right arm to deny Coventry a goal from a bullet header from six yards out.

City went two nil up in the fifty sixth after a minute earlier Paul Marshall had seen his shot cleared of the line. The goal came from a Michael Johnson corner that Richards met perfectly with a spectacular over-head bicycle kick.

Within two minutes City had conceded their first goal. No real blame attached as it was a thirty yard screamer by Vijay Sidhu into the far corner that Matthewson had no chance of saving.

City took their lead back to two goals on sixty seven minutes. Again a Johnson corner was played in and big centre half Clayton McDonald flicked the ball on towards goal, the ball appeared to be behind the line when it was cleared, it was only partially cleared and Sturridge hit a deflected shot that went into the back of the net.

With just over half an hour gone, in the second half, the referee gives the first of their dubious penalties; when McDonald had clearly won the ball in a fair tackle. Matthewson pulled of his second heroics of the evening to deny Coventry the chance to claw their way back into the game.

Right on the eighty ninth minute, the referee decides he wants to help Coventry further by adjudging that Matthewson was not first to a loose ball when their were players in front of him to obstruct his view, but from our angle at the side of the pitch, we clearly saw Laurence get to the ball first. This time Adam Layfield was able to convert the penalty and set up a grandstand finish; that fortunately for City, never materialised.

City should know by this time next week who are fourth round opponents should be.

City: Matthewson(GK), Obeng, Logan, McDonald, Richards(Capt.)(Will
CityCity: Matthewson(GK), Obeng, Logan, McDonald, Richards(Capt.)(Williamson 73), Marshall, Williams, Johnson, Etuhu, Sturridge, Moore.

Subs: Hartley(GK), C Evans, S Evans, Breen.


Coventry: Belford(GK), Duggan(McCrink 59), Layfield, Hildreth(Obadeyi 82), Turner(Capt), Bains, Gooding, Stringfellow, Sidhu, Lorougnon, Kelly.

Subs: Collett(GK), Burftoft, Jones.

Att:  336.