Norwich Penalty Heartache

MCFC Youth 1 - 0 NCFC Youth

A missed late second half penalty from Norwich sends City through to the semi final of the youth cup for the fourth time in six years thanks to a twenty minute goal from striker Robbie Mak.

Norwich had the first chance of the match when a flicked looping header from a corner went straight at Joe Clegg in the City goal. The next real meaningful action was the goal when Andrew Tutte played a long ball through for Mak to chance on to as he shrugged off the attentions of the defender and fired a low hard powerful shot into the far corner of the goal.

City had another great opportunity to double their lead in the thirty third minute when City's man of the match and Captain, Kieran Trippier cleared a long ball from deep in the defence whilst under pressure that fell to Alex Nimley-Tchuimeni who saw Chris Chantler running into space and a ball into feet allowed Chris to race forward and create a one on one with Declan Rudd in the Norwich goal.

Two minutes before the break and it was yet again another headed effort that caused City a few problems as Norwich's flicked header had to be tipped over for a corner by Clegg.

The second half saw a very controversial decision by the referee when Norwich's Dario Dumic brought down Mak when he was bearing down on goal in the fifty fifth minute. The controversy arises as Dumic had just been booked two minutes earlier and so should have received a second yellow and a red card.

As the clock ticked into the last twenty minutes of normal time City had another decent effort to double their lead when Nimley-Tchuimeni made a good run down the right and evaded the attention of the Norwich player before sending in a decent cross that was only half cleared and the ball cannoned back into the right hand side of the area where Mak found himself, but he could not keep his shot on target.

Norwich had the easiest chance of the match to get their goal in the seventy ninth minute from the penalty spot as the referee had adjudged that Omar Elabdellaoui had fouled Tom Adeyemi on the edge of the area. The angle that most spectators had in the stand looked like Omar won the ball; but from a member of my party who was one of the ball boys who plays youth football himself said that Omar had caught him and so the jury is undecided on it. However the penalty was given but Norwich's young Nick Davey will have nightmares about this one as he blazed his penalty over the bar.

City again nearly made it two nil in stoppage time when Nimley-Tchuimeni was played in by a lovely through ball from the left touchline by Greg Cunningham and Nimley turned the defender and sent a fine shot into the far post but Rudd really earned his stripes with a fine save as he tipped the ball behind for a corner.

City will now play Arsenal over a two legged semi-final which will mean that one of the favourites will not make it to the final with Liverpool the other favourite to make the final from their half of the draw.

City: Clegg(GK), Trippier(Capt.), Cunningham, Wabara, Boyata, Tutte(Elabdellaoui 75), Benali, Ibrahim, Mak, Nimley-Tchuimeni, Chantler.

Subs: E Johansen(GK), Redshaw, Guidetti, Helan.


Norwich: Rudd(GK), Francomb(Drmola 85), Habergham,Smith(Capt.), Dumic, Stephens, Omoregie(Brindley 77), Adeyemi, Kelly, Davey, Dawkin.

Subs: Steer(GK), Clarke, Reeves.


Att: 3254