KEEPER RAISES CITY HEARTS

This report comes kindly from Andrew Waldon - the former official reserve reporter - whilst I am away on England duty.

OAFC Reserves 1 - 1 MCFC Reserves

City Beat Oldham Athletic 5-4 on the penalty shoot out.

Finally something for long suffering City fans to gloat about(or at
least put a smile on their faces) as Joe Hart kept out two Oldham spot
kicks in a penalty shoot out to send City through to the final of the
Manchester Senior cup and the possible chance of a league and cup
double.

Things did not start well for City in a fixture that both sides needed
to win to progress through to the final.Oldham striker, Matty
Wolfenden, gave his side the lead at the break with a goal scored on 12
minutes, when he showed no signs of rustiness as he continued his
rehabilitation after having been out for over two months with a
hamstring injury which he suffered against City on the same ground, to finish clinically past Joe Hart.

It was a completently differentt City side (so to speak) that turned
up for the second half as they pressed forward in numbers to try and
get the vital goal that would bring them back in the game. Ched Evans
spurned two golden opportunities and Matthew Mills could only gasp with
frustration when his header from a Paul Marshall corner crashed aganst
the cross bar and away to safety.

Ishmael Miller finally gave the City fans in a spase crowd something
to cheer about when he turned , just inside the box and fired home
beyond Oldham keeper Alan Blayney , following good inter link play
between Djamel Abdoun and Marc Laird, that goal arriving in the 89th
minute so therefore deciding the fixture needed to be concluded by
penalties. Two fine saves by Joe Hart in the resulting shoot out meant
City now face Manchester United in the final with a venue and date yet
to be decided.

Team:
Hart, Obeng, Williamson, Breen, M Mills, Marshall, Abdoun, Laird
(Williams 90), Evans, Miller, Moore(Clayton 46)
Subs: Matthewson(GK), Ball, Logan

Attendance: About 150

MOM: Joe Hart

Penalty Scorers:Evans, Clayton, Miller, Marshall(Saved),Abdoun,
Williamson