City Scrape their Fourth Successive League Victory

MCFC Reserves 4 - 2 WAFC Reserves

Two late goals from substitute Ashley Grimes saved City's blushes after some very sloppy early play that allowed Wigan Athletic to be in front for a large portion of the game. City had gone infront early on through Ishmael Miller but two goals from Wigan around the half hour mark put City onto the back foot and it was not until the fifty ninth minute when Miller won and converted a penalty did City draw level with lowly Wigan. City will be thankful for Grimes though as his movement and strikes finished Wigan of and cemented City's fourth place in the league; and keeping in touching distance of a top three league finish.

As I have said on previous occasions, while City persist with players like Marc Laird and Tuomas Haapala in midfield, they will struggle to win these games, that with the talent available throughout our junior ranks, should be a formality.

Danny Mills did not help matters with a woeful performance that put Matthew Mills and the returning Mikkel Bischoff under constant pressure at times.

City took the lead on ten minutes after a good opening spell from the blues. The goal came from a corner after Laird wanted too much time to get his shot off and it was blocked and rebounded kindly to Miller who hit a thunderous shot that ex-Manchester United goalkeeper, Gary Walsh did well to palm over for a corner. The resulting set piece was not fully cleared and David Sommeil, playing in an unfamiliar midfield role, stole round the back and curled a lovely cross in, which Miller evaded the off-side trap and headed in from three yards out.

City then seemed to go to sleep and apart from a Willo Flood shot, were kept on the back foot and it was no surprise to see Wigan draw level on thirty minutes when a through ball went to the feet of Andreas Johansson; Matty Mills kept close quarters and it appeared as though he managed to get the vital challenge in, but Johansson was strong and it was unclear whether it was him or Mills that got the last touch that squirmed the ball past a despairing Nick Weaver dive, who has rightly been offered a new contract.

Six minutes later City were behind when poor midfield play by Laird gave the ball back to Wigan and Alan Mahon slipped the ball through to City fan, Neil Mellor and his shot into the corner of the goal as the ball came of the inside of the post.

City were forced into a change on the stroke of half-time as Bischoff clattered into the back of Laird and Kelvin Etuhu came on to replace him.

Wigan again started the brighter and it was not until the fifty seventh minute when Shaleum Logan came on for Danny Mills did City look like a more controlled unit. It was within two minutes of this change that City were able to draw level. The quick thinking of Man of the Match, Ben Thatcher, sent a long throw forward to Miller who was able to turn and run into the box and force the illegal challenge that the referee duly awarded the penalty for. Miller cooly got up and slotted the penalty into the far corner, giving substitute goalkeeper, Floyd Croll, no chance what so ever.

As the match drew into the last twenty minutes, City pressed further up the field and a strong run and shot from Etuhu was well saved by Croll. From the dead ball, City made their third and most decisive substitution; bringing on Grimes for the largely ineffectual Karl Bermingham, which allowed the midfield to be shuffled once again to a more balanced shape.

Grimes' brace of goals came when Etuhu forced the defender into a mistake and he dispossessed him and he ran into the box and squared a balled which Grimes sent a half volley looping over Croll into the back of the net. Six minutes later Sommeil played a lovely through ball for Grimes who ran at the defence on the left and let his shot of that was deflected past Croll to seal the three points for City.


City: Weaver(GK),D Mills(Logan 57), Thatcher, Sommeil, M Mills, Bischoff, Flood(Capt.), Laird(Etuhu 45), Bermingham(Grimes 71), Miller, Haapala.

Subs: Matthewson(GK), D'Laryea.


Wigan: Walsh(GK)(Croll 46), Heywood, Waterhouse, Lee(Capt.), Roberts, Francis, Middleton, Mahon, Mellor(Litchfield 53), Johansson(Hazeldine 61), Owens.

Subs: Joyce, Montrose

Att: 339

MotM: Ben Thatcher - never let anything come down his side and should give a lack lustre Jordan some much needed first team competition.