Manchester United Lose Tight Junior Derby

MCFC U18s 1 - 0 MUFC U18s

A very tight game at Platt Lane today was won by City with a late goal from Ahmed Benali which leaves City nine points clear of second place Manchester United and in all fairness should have sealed the north west division academy title with that result; as with the quality and form of City it is hard to see them slipping up with at least four of the remaining eleven games.

United looked much the better side in the first half as their work rate, passing and eagerness to win back the ball was far better but they seemed to lack that extra bit of quality up front to really test City's defence with their quality approach play.

City for the most of the season have had slow starts to games and it was showing today as the midfield sat too deep at times and allowed United to come on to them. However of the first half City probably created the best chance when strong work from Robbie Mak on the left found his strong run beat the defender as he went to ground and was then allowed time and space on the dead ball line on the edge of the area to look up and perfectly lay the ball back and pick out an un-marked Greg Cunnngham; but he forgot he had a right foot as he scooped his left foot shot well wide from eight yards out. Greg made amends about five minutes later when he cleared a shot from a tight angle that was heading towards the inside of the far post and Greg cleared it off the line.

The second half was much more open and both teams put pressure on the defences but it was City that finally made the breakthrough in the eighty fourth minute when Abdi Ibrahim picked out Mak making a forward run on the left and he beat the defence to send in a deep cross the right hand side of the penalty area where Ahmed controlled the ball before jinking around the defence and miss-hitting the shot into the far corner of the goal.

City had goalkeeper Joe Clegg to thank for keeping the score at one nil a few minutes later when the ball was only half cleared to the number six on the edge of the area who struck a very fine shot through a crowded penalty area and Clegg with great reflexes saved the shot and warded the ball behind.


United brought on a couple of high profile players in the second half but City's defence was well drilled and organised and was the clear bedrock of this important victory. City's next game is their first and my first visit to Everton's Finch Farm training complex after moving away from their Netherton site.


City: Clegg(GK), Trippier(Capt.), Cunningham, Wabara, Boyata, Tutte, Benali, Ibrahim, Mak, Nimley-Tchuimeni, Chantler.

Subs: Hartley(GK), Redshaw, Guidetti, Tse, Elabedallaoui.


The U16s did not fair as well as they let a one nil goal lead slip to eventually lose two one.