Reserves Beat Everton; Unlike First Team

With Thanks to Guest Reporter Bill Garnett.

Manchester City Reserves 4 Everton Reserves 2


One of the most impressive City reserve line-ups of recent years posted an entertaining 4-2 victory over an Everton side who contributed to an entertaining end to end game in a cold and windswept Athletics Stadium. City included Felipe Caicedo and Nery Castillo, both of whom were involved in the premiership game against Everton 24 hours previously, alongside Michael Johnson who was continuing his return from injury.
City set the game in motion and were immediately pushed on the defensive. However, in the 6th minute a swift counter attack from City led to Geovanni playing in Caicedo who finished clinically into the left hand corner of the net. City increased their lead with a further two goals, from Castillo and Emile Mpenza, in the space of a minute on the quarter hour mark to put City into a rather misleading three goal lead.
Everton had created more chances than the home side but lacked the required composure to convert them into goals. Anichebe was proving to be a constant handful for the City back four with his strong and aggressive approach and was denied by one particularly impressive double save by Andreas Isaksson when played clean through in a one-on-one situation.
Geovanni was the architect for the majority of City’s creativity and was linking well with Johnson who continues to make the game look simple and when fully recovered will surely become an automatic choice once again for the first eleven.
The second half began with City almost notching a fourth goal. Johnsons clever chip being touched over by Everton keeper Wessels’ fingertips at full stretch.
City then seemed to become a little complacent and should have been pegged back when, following an attempt by right-winger Aidan Downes, which hit the post, outside –left Steven Morrison contrived to shoot wide from no more than a couple of yards when confronted with an open goal. However, in the 52nd minute City increased their lead further when a well struck shot from the edge of the area by Mpenza beat the keeper who in all honesty should have done rather better with his attempt to save.
The game had been played in a very sporting manner and it took until the 65th minute for the trainer to be needed for the first time, Anichebe the injured party. Minutes later, City made a triple substitution with Paul Marshall, Ashley Grimes and Sam Williamson replacing Michael Johnson, Felipe Caicedo and Nery Castillo. Castillo had looked sharp all night and would appear to be the obvious replacement for the suspended Martin Petrov on the left wing. As was to be expected, Everton reduced the arrears almost immediately, James Vaughan the scorer.
Everton then enjoyed their best period of the night and City were indebted to fine defending from Clayton McDonald and equally alert goalkeeping from Isaksson. Anichebe has troubled far more experienced players than big Clayton and the young centre-half can feel pleased with his performance this evening.
In the final few moments of the game, the referee, who had handled well all evening, awarded a penalty to the visitors for…….well, something! I haven’t really a clue what for to be honest. The decision baffled the crowd and also I suspect the players. The penalty was despatched with some style by Morrison to give the scoreline a much truer reflection of the game.
The game was certainly more entertaining than the match between the respective first teams the previous evening and highlights were the performances of Geovanni, Castillo and McDonald plus Michael Johnson’s rehabilitation. For Everton, midfielders Dan Gosling and Jack Rodwell were prominent besides the front two of Anichebe and Vaughan.
The crowd of 211 also went home happy in the knowledge that the Youth team had triumphed 4-1 in the Youth Cup 6th Round at Plymouth.

Teams :

City : Isaksson ; Sun, Garrido ; Breen, McDonald, Johnson ( Marshall ) ; Moore, Geovanni, Mpenza , Caicedo (Grimes ), Castillo (Williamson).

Unused Subs : Martin, M.Daly.


Everton : Wessels; Denamore, Baines ; Irving, Dennehy, Gosling ; Downes, Rodwell, Vaughan (Agard ), Anichebe ( Sinnott ), Morrison.

Unused Subs : Harpur, Jones, O’Kane

Referee : A. Watts.

Attendance : 211