Forthcoming Fixtures

Blackpool fielded a very strong side in this reserve fixture against a young City EDS. As is always in circumstances like this David was to slay Goliath.

Brett Ormerod gave the visitors the lead on ten minutes but first half goals from Donal McDermott and James Poole were enough for City to maintain their position at the top of the league.

City have a group of youngsters in their elite development squad that you clearly see enjoy having the ball at their feet and that confidence in the ball was showed in the opening minutes of this match as City passed the ball around with real fluidity so it was a bit of a surprise and slightly against the run of play that Blackpool took the lead when the ball came over from the left through the defenders and onto Brett Ormerod who was able to slot the ball past David Gonzalez Giraldo in the City goal.

City first effort to hit back came four minutes later when the ball was played over the top for James Poole and he played the ball back to Ahmad Benali and he layed the ball back to Scott Kay who hit a first time shot that went rather high wide and handsome.

A few minutes later and Blackpool nearly doubled their lead when defender Ashley Eastham crashed his header against the crossbar from a corner.

City continued to press for the equalizer as Kay played a great cross field pass over the top of the defence and into the path of Donal McDermott who pushed forward before sending a reverse pass to Chris Chantler who's shot was saved and deflected behind for a corner.

City did not have to wait too long for their next effort; however this one was to count as a deserved equalizer. The ball again was played over the Blackpool defence and Poole controlled the ball before playing in McDermott on the left and he surged into the box and curled a lovely shot into the far corner of the goal to completely deceive Mark Halstead in the Blackpool goal.

McDermott was causing the Blackpool defence all sorts of problems as he again ran at their defence before beating all of them to fire at the near post that Halstead got his fingers to; to touch onto the post.

Blackpool nearly regained their lead with ten minutes remaining of the half when their right fullback Matt Phillips' cross was heading goalwards but Gonzalez saved well.

Three minutes later and the veteran Jason Euell received the ball rather fortuitously from a sliced pass and again Gonzalez produced a fine save to deny him.

City however were the team that took a lead into the interval when a good interception by Abdisalam Ibrahim allowed him to pass to McDermott who again ran at the defence and it appeared as though he held onto the ball too long and City had lost their opening; but some how he found the space to find Poole out on the right hand side and he fired a great shot across Halstead and into the far corner of the goal.

City did not rest on their laurels in the second half as it was again that young lad McDermott who forged his way down the left before flashing a great cross in front of the goal that caught everyone by surprise; Blackpool and City as no one was able to get a connection with the ball.

The game nearly had a goal at both ends after ten minutes when Gonzalez made a good save from Euell on the right before the quick break by Poole before he was able to play Kay completely free inside the box but he did not get his shot off in time as Halstead saved at his feet.

City's luck stoop up just over the hour mark when Ormerod had two chances to level things in quick succession when the ball came over from the right and found him and his first time effort cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and eventually came out to Ormerod but his second shot was cleared off the line by captain Ben Mee.

City had a really good claim for a penalty ten minutes later when the Blackpool fullback slipped and McDermott raced past him and into the box and he tried to cut inside but was tackled. The contact did not look bad but the defender got no where near the ball and had it been a league game would in my opinion been given.

City nearly made it three goals when substitute Omar Elabdellaoui put the ball through to Poole on the right and he had a great curling shot that went just wide of the top corner of the goal.

Next up for the table topping EDS squad is the first of an away double header with Wigan; first in the league and then in the Lancashire Senior cup which is a straight knock-out competition.

Teams

Manchester City:

Gonzalez, Logan, Chantler,Kay, Wabara, Mee, Etuhu (Bunn 86),Ibrahim, Poole, Benali (Elabdellaoui 70), McDermott

Subs: Johansen(GK), Helan, Roman-Angel

Blackpool:

Halstead, Philips, Coid, Southern (Husband 73), Eastham, Edwards, Basham, Sylvestre, Euell (Barkhuizen 82), Ormerod (Demontagnac 63), Harewood

Subs: Tarney, Youanda

Attendance: 602