MCFC Reserves and Academy

Everton Play Their Part in City Win

MCFC Reserves 2 – 1 EFC Reserves

A really enjoyable game to watch was the order of the day for this match played by mostly teenagers on both sides. This was such a tonic in light of the shambolic displays by the first team recently.
Goals from Ashley Grimes and Ched Evans ensured that the blues have gone five games unbeaten now; winning four of those five, and for the first time in front of their new gaffer, Kenny Jackett.
City had the first shot on target on fifteen minutes thanks to Danny Sturridge. Five minutes later saw Evans play a good one two with Sturridge for him to run into the box, but Evans could not finish the chance.
Ten minutes before the break saw a good cross field ball from Djamel Abdoun to find Grimes who cut inside and ran into the box and finished into the far corner to make it one nil.
Just before the break Everton had an injury and from the re-start the ball went back to Joe Hart, he unfortunately kicked the ball straight back at James Vaughan and he raced on to the ball and rounded Hart and finished into an empty net.
The second half saw City dominate the play and most of the possession only casual passes by Marc Laird led to City loosing possession in easy circumstances.
Michael Johnson was unlucky not to see his shot take the lead again from twenty yards. Ten minutes later City were in front. Hart making amends for his first half mistake send a good route one kick down field and Evans controlled it beautifully and cut inside and lashed his powerful shot into the back of the net.
Danny Sturridge made an audacious attempted lob from the half way line that went narrowly wide. He probably thought he should have been as quick shooting right at the death when Evans played him clean through, but instead of just shooting with his right, he tried to cut inside on his left and allowed the defenders time to get back.
City now lie in second place in the league and travel to first place Middlesbrough next week to hopefully close the gap and allow us to leapfrog them with our game in hand, only relying on Manchester United to drop points again and hoping if Middlesbrough match our points tally at the end, that we finish with a superior goal difference.


City: Hart(GK), Logan, Williamson, D’Laryea(Capt.), Breen, Laird, Abdoun, Johnson, Sturridge, Evans, Grimes.

Subs: Matthewson(GK), Williams, Obeng, Clayton, Marshall.


Everton: Ruddy(GK), Irving, Molyneux, Dennehy, Rodwell, Kearney(Capt.), Phelan, Vidarsson, Vaughan, Anichebe, Kissock(Connor 74).

Subs: Jones(GK), Morrison, Spencer, Agard.

Att: 221.

MotM: Michael Johnson – finds a blue shirt every time with ease and gets forward well.