Forthcoming Fixtures

This game was an opportunity for City to put a little space between themselves and the rest of their league group. However allowing Blackburn to score three goals; one from Matthew Pearson and a brace from Tom Hitchcock was always going to be too much for a team that has so many injuries and players out on loan despite Harry Bunn scoring his eighteenth academy and reserve league goal of the season.

The first half saw City allow Blackburn too much space and that space nearly resulted in a goal in the seventh minute when Hitchcock was allowed to waltz through the City defence and slip a ball through in the area on the left to Jamie Maclaren who could have done better and Loris Karius not spread himself so well.

City finally started to settle and a good move down the right allowed Donal McDermott to make an overlapping run and the ball was slipped through for him to run onto and he cut to the by-line and pulled the ball back which Scott Kay hit powerfully first time but it took a deflection and went inches over the crossbar.

Again McDermott was involved about ten minutes later when the ball was played square to him in midfield but slightly short and he had to adjust his body and use his quick footwork to avoid the close attentions of the Blackburn players before setting himself and letting go with a powerful near thirty yard placed shot towards the bottom corner of the goal that cannoned of the base of the post.

The second half was a catastrophe for City in that the opening minutes saw them concede two goals in less than two full minutes when centre half Pearson powerfully converted a James Knowles corner with a header and then yet again Hitchcock was allowed to dance through the city defence but this time he took it upon himself to coolly finish past Karius into the bottom corner of the goal.

City did managed to pull a goal back when Harry Bunn's industry meant that he was able to close down a mix up in defence and ride an attempted tackle before rounding the goalkeeper and finishing into an empty goal.

After that sadly City did not force Blackburn goalkeeper Jake Kean into any more meaningful action and it was the east Lancashire team that stole a march on the game again as their winger Micah Evans and Hitchcock combine well in and around the edge of the area to again finish past Karius with less than ten minutes remaining to secure all three points.

Usually City have a younger less experienced side to fall back on when they have a bad result but this time Blackburn were the younger less experienced side and so shows that the quality does not fully run through all levels at City and it may still be a couple of years before we see the ability to field a side that is hungry for victory whoever plays.

Teams:

Manchester City:

Karius, Logan, Chantler, Elabdellaoui (Robinson 85), Wabara, Veseli,Mancini (Meppen-Walter 78), Kay, Guidetti, Bunn, McDermott

Subs: Lawlor(GK), Kennedy

Blackburn Rovers:

Kean, Ramm, Henley, Knowles (Fernandez-Molina 86), Pearson, Jones (O'Connor 46), Evans, Potts, Hitchcock, Parry, Maclaren(Osawe 82)

Subs: Dillo(GK), Wylie

Attendance: 475