Forthcoming Fixtures

City Persevere with Blackburn

BRFC Reserves 0 - 1 MCFC Reserves

A rather drab first half was lightened up with a much better display in the second half where City put Blackburn under a great deal more pressure and that desire to get forward finally payed off with a Vladimir Weiss goal in the seventy first minute.

The first half's only real clear chance came from a good one touch move that involved many city player's that ended with Donal McDermott playing the ball to Adam Clayton who flicked the ball over the defence for David Ball to run onto but after Blackburn goalkeeper Mark Bunn spilled the initial shot, Ball appeared to have been impeded as he attempted to go for the re-bound, but the referee awarded the free kick to Blackburn.

David Ball then made a play for miss off the season as he did an amazing clearance job as good work by James Poole and McDermott down the left led to Donal getting to the by-line and driving the ball across the line where Ball promptly ballooned his shot somehow over the bar from inside a yard. After such a miss it was no surprise to see Blackburn race up the other end and nearly score themselves with a shot that went just wide.

City's goal came when city's man of the match Mcdermott dispossessed the Blackburn defender and then cut inside and played the ball to Poole but he mis-read the pass and the ball ran to the far side of the box where Weiss ran in and fired a powerful shot across Bunn and into the far corner of the goal.

The goal woke Blackburn up a bit but did not have the quality of pass or finish to really test Tobias Johansen in the City goal. After that brief flurry from Blackburn it was City that finished the game stronger with a melee in the Blackburn penalty area twice with Blocks coming from everywhere to deny City a certain second goal.

In one other attack City were clearly denied a certain penalty when a shot cannoned off the Blackburn defender and he brought the ball down with his hand, but the referee who was in good sight turned the appeal down despite even the Blackburn players appearing very wary at the certain impending decision.

That win makes it six wins from nine games for City and puts them within three points of league leaders Sunderland; but they have a game in hand over City and are looking very strong for the title. On another note if Mark Hughes buys Santa Cruz from Blackburn I hope he signs the right one as tonight's evidence shows that his brother is the shadow of Roque.


Blackburn: Bunn(GK), Marrow(Haworth 67), Kane, Flynn, Winnard, Hodge, Judge(Capt.), O'Keefe, Santa Cruz(Potts 87), Villanueva(Marshall 79), Treacy.

Subs: Bussmann(GK), Bateson, Handley.


City: T Johansen(GK), Vidal, Williamson(Capt.), Mee, McDonald, Clayton, Weiss, Marshall, D Ball, Poole, McDermott.

Subs: E Johansen(GK), Morris, McGivern, Obeng, Ramsey.


Att: 203