Forthcoming Fixtures

City Don't do a City against United

MCFC Reserves 3 – 1 MUFC Reserves

Both Manchester United and City decided to field quite strong teams for last night’s mini derby encounter. The first half had little to shout about apart from a great save from Richard Martin to deny Chris Eagles from clear inside the area.
The second half was the key where United took control of the game when they took the lead through Fraizer Campbell but a mad four minutes eight minutes from time gave City three goals from Emile Mpenza, Adam Clayton and Ashley Grimes to see United concede yet another bizarre defeat at Eastlands.

The game was littered with first team fringe players on both sides so there was none of the unfair advantage for either side, although the near £20m purchase, Anderson, did distort the balance of the value of both sides slightly.

As the first half wore on it looked like it could be a dull nil nil draw as both teams seemed to nullify each other’s attacks although United were more free in their shooting, but were restricted mainly to ones from outside the area and using free kicks to their advantage, but City’s defence stood firm and City’s lack of direction up front was not troubling the United defence much.

City started the second half brightly and were keeping possession in the United half until the seventh minute when United broke out from a City corner and the blues failed to get back to cover the right cross from Sam Hewson for Campbell to run in and score.

United by this goal seemed to have taken the wind out of City’s sails for a short while, but once Clayton and the long term injured Kelvin Etuhu had come on to replace the mainly useless Ousmane Dabo and left winger Karl Moore the team had much more impetus, especially as Jihai Sun gave much more energy in the centre of midfield for the other players to feed of.

City’s three goals came in quick succession, Shaleum Logan being involved in the first two goals when on the first he was released on a run and crossed sweetly to the far post where Grimes knocked it back and Mpenza diverted it past Tom Heaton in goal.

Two minutes later Logan headed the ball into the path of Etuhu to cross to the far post where Clayton headed into the bottom corner, very akin to Jon Maken’s goal at Spurs in that amazing cup game, but Adam’s was from the other side of the goal.

City then finished the game of in their favour a minute later when yet again the amazing footwork of Clayton led to him taking the ball to the by-line past numerous challenges and pulling the ball back for Mpenza to run onto and fire it a shot which came back of either the post or player but was returned with interest from Grimes from eight yards out.

This is a good start to City’s premier reserve league side with an away draw with last season’s title winners and a home victory against perennial title contenders Manchester United. The real plus point must be to see Kelvin Etuhu back playing after a long knee injury had kept him out.


City: Martin(GK), Logan, Breen, Ball, Williamson(Capt.), Sun, Laird, Dabo (Clayton 56), Moore (Etuhu 73), Mpenza (Marshall 89), Grimes.

Subs: Hartley(GK), McDonald.


United: Heaton(GK), R.Eckersley, Bardsley, Chester, A.Eckersley(Capt.), Eagles (Dong 81), Hewson, Lee, Martin (Barnes 66), Anderson (Brandy 64), Campbell.

Subs: Woods(GK), Evans.

Att: 789.