Saturday 26th September 2009

Liverpool U18's 2 Manchester City U18's 6

Olle(60 &67 mins),Guidetti(54mins), Bunn(72 & 90 mins), Elabdellaoui(59 mins)

 

The old cliché of a game of two halves was pretty evident today as City could not find a way through Liverpool's defence in the first half after going behind after only thirty seven seconds. City's goals came from two braces; Juan Olle and Harry Bunn, Omar Elabdellaoui and the lad that orchestrated this destruction; John Guidetti.

 

Things could not have started much worse for City as Liverpool's number eleven skipped his way through City down the left before firing a great shot that looked in all the way but hit the post instead and rebounded to their number seven and he beat the defender and Eirik Johansen at the near post.

 

City could have levelled in the ninth minute when Tom Smith and Jeremy Helan played a one two down the left on the edge of the area before Smith got around the fullback and pulled the ball back for Helan who fired in but the goalkeeper got down well to block the shot.

 

Again City had a gilt edged chance to level in the seventeenth minute when the Liverpool defence slipped up and Ahmed Benali took advantage and squared a ball for Guidetti to move on to but his shot was blocked by the goalkeeper but the rebound fell to Benali who's shot was cleared off the line by the defender.

 

The first half was quite a tempestuous affair with some rather rash challenges and so when Liverpool's number six made another late challenge on Andrew Mitchell in the second minute after the half time break the referee had no choice but to brandish a second yellow card to him with his marching orders.

 

Liverpool going down to ten men really changed the game as City took full advantage by gaining the equalizing goal in the fifty fourth minute when good work from Helan down the left allowed him a decent cross which Guidetti rose well and headed into the bottom corner.

 

City then began to really press up the pitch and got their second goal to take the lead in the fifty ninth minute when Liverpool's defence could not deal with Guidetti and his power pace led him down the left and sent in a low firm cross across the front of the goal which Omar had a simple tap in at the far post to convert.

 

A minute later and City had doubled their advantage and again it was big John Guidetti that did the damage as he forced his way into the area before squaring the ball back to substitute Olle who slotted the ball into the far corner of the goal.

 

City wrapped the victory up with a fourth goal in the sixty seventh minute with a Guidetti free kick that was struck with great power that cannoned off the wall and fell to Benali who steadied himself before lifting the ball into the danger area where Olle was lurking and he headed the ball into the goal.

 

City got a bit sloppy then four minutes later when they allowed Liverpool to move forward without a proper challenge down their left and the ball came back across to the right of the area and Johansen went to ground a little easy which gave the Liverpool player the opportunity to lift the ball over Johansen and go into the back of the goal of the underside of the crossbar.

 

City hit the accelerator again a minute later as a poor clearance fell to Harry Bunn who made space for himself as the defender backed off and he slotted the ball past the goalkeeper.

 

With three minutes remaining of the ninety minutes City could have scored a sixth when Helan sent a deep cross from the right that was picked up by Olle who immediately crossed right back and there was Guidetti; but his header was straight at the goalkeeper.

 

City did score their sixth in stoppage time when Guidetti forced the play and dispossessed the defender and worked into the are before playing the ball into the space for Bunn who fired past the goalkeeper.

 

City face Crewe next week at Platt Lane to try to gain a more consistent run of decent results and climb up the table and catch league leaders Blackburn Rovers.

 

 

 

Team:

E Johansen(GK), Smith, Grandison(Olle),Wabara, Veseli, Mitchell(Kapsalapodas), ElAbdellaoui,Benali, Guidetti, Bunn, Helan

 

Subs: Karius(GK),Zander,Hippias

 

The under 16s came from a goal down to draw 1-1

 

The Liverpool perspective of the game

 

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N165903090926-1256.htm