Forthcoming Fixtures

City travelled to the prestigious Reebok Stadium for their re-arranged away reserve fixture with Bolton Wanderers hoping to keep their unbeaten away record in tact. That is exactly what they did as the City U20 side barring the goalkeeper mainly outplayed a Bolton side littered with first team players; including the England hopeful Gary Cahill returning from a worrying blood clot injury and won three one with goals from Captain Ben Mee, Alex Nimley Tchuimeni and Robbie Mak.

Right from the kick off City might have thought that they were in for a long ninety minutes as within thirty seconds David Gonzalez Giraldo pulled off a great save low down close to his near post when Joe Riley crossed in from the right and Ricardo Vaz Te headed down and David's sharp reactions prevented a certain goal. The resulting corner also saw Bolton's scorer from last week's senior cup game fire in a long range shot that David was able to get behind.

Bolton continued to show their class with good movement and neat runs; and it was one of those neat runs that allowed Aaron Mooy to chip the ball into a forward running Michael O'Halloran into the box but David was quickly off his line and Michael could only try to lob David but his effort was too high.

City then began to settle and started knocking the ball about well themselves won their first corner in the seventh minute. Both teams were cancelling each other out for a little while with both teams defending well with Bolton's man mountain Danny Shittu and Cahill at the heart of their defence and Dedryck Boyata and Mee for City who was looking a lot better after a dodgy spell in the last few games.

City first real chance to take the lead came in the fourteenth minute when a Greg Cunningham Corner was only half cleared and Mak fired in a shot that cannoned to James Poole and Ali Al-Habsi was able to save the effort. Two minutes later and again Poole was involved when he made a strong run down the left before releasing Kieran Trippier who's cross was only just headed over for a corner by the defender.

Twenty minutes in and City took the lead when a free kick out on the left was sent in by Trippier and there was a bit of a melee but it finally fell to the feet of Mee and he poked the ball past Al-Habsi.

City did not stop there as within a minute they nearly doubled their lead when Trippier sent a cross field pass to Nimley and he held the ball up and then slipped a ball into the area that Poole ran onto but he was closed down by the defence and his tight angle shot was just wide.

Bolton also had their chances as you would expect with that amount of experience in the team when a ball over the top of City's defence for Riga to chase onto but Javan Vidal did not give up and came in with a great last ditch tackle.

Then a bit of controversy as a Bolton corner whipped in by Mooy was headed clear of the area by Mee but it fell to Vaz Te and he fired his shot back in but despite a few Bolton players' being in an offside position and blocking David's view and position as the ball went into the corner of the goal and the referee and assistants pointed back to the centre circle to award the goal.

A minute before half time and City nearly regained the lead when a neat passing move involving Poole, Mak and Nimley came to Abdisiliam Ibrahim but the ball was cleared from his feet just before he was about to shoot and behind for a corner.

City started the second half as they had finished the first when Nimley played the ball to Poole who layed the ball back to Trippier who played the ball over the top for Nimley but the defence just came in to block the shot and behind for a corner. Cunningham played a near post cross from the corner and Nimley ran in, but his header unfortunately hit the base of the post.

Two minutes later and Nimley was causing problems again; this time for Shittu as he beat him for pace and he crossed the ball to Poole who knocked it back for Ibrahim who's powerful strike went just wide.

City really were knocking the ball about well and so when Trippier made a forward run and he played a one two with Nimley before firing in a fine twenty five yard strike that Al-Habsi had to tip over for a corner.

City finally regained the lead just over the hour mark when again some very good crisp passing fell to Poole who pushed forward and released Trippier who's cross from the right was a real peach and Nimley rose like a salmon to head the ball into the far corner of the goal.

City nearly allowed Bolton to level two minutes later when Boyata was harshly adjudged to have fouled the Bolton player and Vaz Te whipped in the free kick that again David got well to to put around the post for a corner.

David Gonzalez Giraldo was having the best game he had ever had in a City shirt and again he proved that with two fine saves inside two minutes when he saved at the feet of O'Halloran and then a shot from Vaz Te.

Then City welcomed on David Ball for the first time since playing against Burnley on the 20^th October last year as he replaced James Poole who had taken a knock. Clearly with that length of time out of the game you could see he was very game rusty and looks a way of being match fit; but non the less it was good to see our young Manchester lad back on the field of play.

City sealed their victory when a mistake by Bolton's on loan Mark Davies allowed Robbie Mak to jink his way forward before cutting inside and firing a trade mark unstoppable drive into the far corner of the goal past Al-Habsi and round of a fine game for the young blues. The game could not have been very pleasing for the onlooking Owen Coyle and Phil Gartside who had seen their stars outplayed at times by a quality young City side.

Having seen the list of premier league pitches that are up for awards this season; you have to wonder how Bolton's Reebok is not in that list and Sunderland's is; with the Reebok pitch being in great condition which was certainly a great help to allowing City to play some good football.

City make their final league travel's of the season next week when they face Everton; most probably at Widnes Rugby league club's ground where they will hope to have that season's unbeaten record complete.

Teams:

Bolton Wanderers:

Al-Habsi, Riley (McDonald 20 min), Blakeman, Sheridan, Cahill, Shittu, Mooy, M Davies, Vaz Te, Riga, O'Halloran( Harsanyi 75min)

Subs:

Lainton(GK), Bennett, Campbell

Manchester City

Gonzales, Vidal, Cunningham,Ibrahim (Kay 86min), Boyata, Mee, Trippier, Tutte, Nimely, Mak, Poole (Ball 78min)

Subs:

T Johansen(GK), Chantler, Redshaw

Attendance:241