City Youth Scrape Through to Final

MCFC Youth 1 - 1 NUFC Youth (Agg: MCFC 4 - 3 NUFC)

City's young guns only just held their nerve in a torrid game by holding on for the draw after their away victory in the first leg at St James' Park last week. A first half own goal or Daniel Sturridge effort was cancelled out ten minutes before the break by a volley from Nicky Deverdics.

City's goal came on fifteen minutes when City were awarded a free kick for a foul on Kelvin Etuhu. Paul Marshall whipped the inswinging dead ball effort on towards the penalty spot and either the defender or Sturridge got their head on the ball to put it past Fraser Forster in goal.

Newcastle's equaliser came from a long throw in, in to the penalty box from the right and was not cleared and in ran Deverdics to volley the dropping ball into the top of the goal.

The second half was a real non event for City as they managed to block or defend and just generally put Newcastle off at the last moments to deny them many clear openings; but that did not stop them being all over the place at times and looking totally disjointed.

The substitution of Sturridge for Ched Evans seemed to add something more upfront for City as Evans and Etuhu look more of a partnership than Sturridge and Etuhu at times.

So City will play Liverpool in the final with the away leg first. The provisional dates for these two televised games is the 13th and 21st of April.


City: Matthewson(GK), Obeng, Logan, Williamson, Breen, Marshall, Williams, Johnson(Capt.), Etuhu, Sturridge(C Evans 78), Moore.

Subs: Vadon(GK), Daly, McDermott, Mouritsen.


NUFC: Forster(GK), Cowan, Deverdics, Huntington(Capt.), Marr, Cavener, Lualua(Doninger 58), Francis(Grieve 82), Carroll, Critchlow, Godsmark(Troisi 46).

Subs: Cook(GK), Little.

Att: 2494

MotM: Obeng - put in some great last ditch challenges to save City's blushes.