City Given Scare in West Country

BCFC Youth 2 - 4 MCFC Youth

Bristol City should be very proud of their achievements today, for had it not been for City's prestigious talent; Daniel Sturridge, I am sure it would have been Bristol making the rather shorter journey to Plymouth Argyle for the quater finals than ourselves in front of a strong Bristol crowd at Ashton Gate. A brace a piece from David Ball and Sturridge killed off the tie after Marlon Jackson and Australian Robert Stambolziev had put Bristol in a strong position with England youth international Tristan Plummer having a strong hand in both goals.

Bristol started the brighter of the two teams and won their first corner in the third minute. City settled themselves down and then started to pass the ball and won themselves a free kick on the right on the sixth minute. Donal McDermott took the free kick that was eventually only cleared out to Andrew Tutte who took a twenty five yard snap shot that went just over.

City then took the lead from a short corner from McDermott that went to Vladimir Weiss who beat the defender and played in McDermott again as he slipped a reverse pass into David Ball in the area to beat the offside and coolly slot the ball past Megyeri Balasz in the Bristol goal.

That goal really settled City and they passed the ball really well as they regularly switched flanks with long reaching passes. That led to Sturridge having space out on the left flank as he drove forward and fired a long range shot that went just wide of the far post.

Five minutes later the ever impressive Ross Stearn was allowed too much space and he fired a long range shot that just went over. That was the start of the Bristol players believing in themselves again and they were cutting down City's space much more readily. They did suffer a brief scare of going two nil down almost immediately afterwards when Balasz dropped a McDermott free kick in front of a load of City players; but the blues could not take advantage.

With just over half an hour gone Bristol got themselves back into the game when Bristol's man of the match Plummer drove down the right hand side when unfortunately for City Kieran Trippier had played him onside and he drove into the box to lay the ball back for his strike partner Jackson to fire into the bottom corner.

It was all Bristol from this point until the break and the simple things were not working for City. Bristol had two good chances before the break to take the lead; first from Plummer with a fine surge forward and twenty five yard shot that Gregory Hartley was able to save and then when Ryan McGivern's torment, Stearn created some space for himself, he sent a lovely cross over everybody but Stambolziev, but he could not keep his header down.

City needed to re-group during the interval, but that never really materialised as Bristol came out full of confidence with all guns blazing. So the unthinkable happened to the onlooking City academy staff as Andrew Tutte tried to pass to Dedryck Boyata but he made a complete hash of it and Jackson took advantage and again there was Plummer to take the ball on towards goal; Hartley raced out to narrow the angle and to try to take the ball away, but he mis-timed his challenge and took Plummer down. Stambolziev stepped up to take the penalty and although Hartley dived the right way and it hit his body it looped up and bounced over the line before Hartley could pull it back.

City had to make a change as yet another effort from Bristol nearly looped in the far post and appeared to graze the outside of the woodwork. So although the teamsheet said it was James Poole coming on, it was in fact the Cypriot Angelos Tsiaklis who replaced McDermott and Tutte moved over to the left to take his place as Angelos took the centre role and Sturridge took a slightly wider right role.

Bristol still came forward and this time it was yet another George Boon free kick that was well delivered and there was a gaggle of Bristol players that climbed up to head it onto the post.

Three minutes later; totally against the run of play City drew level when Sturridge showed his power and pace and drove at the Bristol defence from the right hand side before cutting in to drive a powerful shot from twenty yards that Balasz could only parry and the goal poaching instincts of David Ball came in as he ran to nick the ball away from Balasz and lift the ball over him and into the back of the net.

Bristol still continued to press forward and this was perhaps the reason that City were able to take advantage as with men committed forward, City and in particular were able to take real advantage of this when on twenty eight minutes Angelos stayed on his feet when he was clipped from the side and then sent a pass through to Sturridge who drove into the box and bamboozled the defence before sending a great right footed shot through Balasz and into the far corner of the net.

Bristol continued to get back on top and found most of the City team putting block after block in during a mad thirty seconds that City could not clear the ball. They did however get it clear and it was that man Angelos again who slipped a great pass to Ball but this time Balasz was able to get his leg to the shot and deflect it wide for a corner.

With nearly ten minutes to go Sturridge saved his piece d'resistance with a wonderful solo effort that was very Dennis Bergkampesque as he flicked the ball up and forward and left the Bristol defence looking up wondering what was going on; they were soon watching the ball nestle in the back of the net from a really sweetly struck volley and win the tie for City.

City ran the clock down well from that moment as the Bristol player's heart's had sunk as they knew the tie was over.

City now make the even more west country trip to Plymouth Argyle who have despatched Coventy, Portsmouth and Birmingham on their way to the quarter finals.


Bristol: Balasz(GK), Williams, Boon, Ribeiro(Capt.), Wilkinson, Rose, Stambolziev(McClennan 87), Kington, Jackson, Plummer, Stearn.

Subs: Lennox(GK), Clunie, Neagle, Bradley.


City: Hartley(GK), Trippier, McGivern, Boyata, Mee(Capt.), Tutte, Weiss, Kay, Ball, Sturridge, McDermott(Tsiaklis 61).

Subs: Clegg(GK), Nimely-Tchuimeni, Ibrahim, Mak.


Att: 4233.