Forthcoming Fixtures

City's academy recorded their first league victory of the decade thanks to goals from Jeremy Helan and the marauding fullback Andrew Mitchell either side of half time.

City looked a lot better today as they came up against a Crewe team who did not look as good as they have done over previous seasons which made it easier for Ahmad Benali to run the game in midfield.

Bradley Robinson who was starting his first U18 game played his part in the first goal as he did some good work on the right before releasing Big John Guidetti who rounded the defence on the edge of the area before finding Helan on the left and he nutmegged the defender with his shot at the near post that deceived the goalkeeper to nestle in the back of the net.

Five minutes later and Crewe really should have levelled as a through ball found their number ten who timed his run perfectly to beat the defence to make him look offside so he only had the goalkeeper to beat but Loris Karius came out to cut his angle down and he shot against the inside of the post and the ball went right across the goal line but failed to cross it.

Guidetti won himself a free kick from about twenty five yards just before the half hour mark and he stepped up and fired an absolute missile that gave the goalkeeper no chance had it not hit the post and bounced away.

Crewe then drew level with virtually the last kick of the first half in stoppage time as the number ten makes amends for his earlier miss when he is played through with a great ball and he beat Karius at the near post.

The second half was quite controlled as far as City was concerned and so it was no surprise that City regained their lead when Omar El Abdellaoui who was starting to come into the game after having a quiet first half and his good play allowed Mitchell to get forward and and Omar played Andrew in and he ran into the box and held the defender off before slipping the ball into the far corner of the goal.

Again Crewe had a chance in stoppage time to level things but the player just strayed offside. City now play title challengers Blackburn Rovers at Platt Lane next Saturday in their bid to climb off the bottom of the table.

Team:

Karius, Mitchell, Smith, Veseli, Tse, Kapsalopodas, El Abdellaoiu, Benali, Robinson (Olle 80min), Guidetti, Helan

Subs:

E Johansen(GK), Hippias, Paris, Skogsrud

A young U16 side also won 3-1