Manchester United Not Up To City Standards

MUFC U18s 0 - 2 MCFC U18s

The first academy derby was held at Manchester United's Carrington training ground and this means that third place United are now eleven points behind City after fourteen games for City and thirteen for United. City's two goals both came in the first half four minutes apart with Abdi Ibrahim scoring the first with a header and Robbi Mak firing in his fourteenth competitive goal of the season; thirteenth in the league.

On a lovely sunny winters day, the playing surface and conditions were perfect for the bragging rights in Manchester. Both sides seemed to lack any real cutting edge in the opening quarter of an hour but it was City that settled the quicker and started to press United back.

City made that pressure count in the thirty fourth minute when good work by Captain Kieran Trippier on the right found midfielder Andrew Tutte who whipped in a fine cross into the penalty area where Ibrahim timed his run to perfection and headed the ball into the bottom corner of the goal.

City's second goal was all about Robbie Mak who picked the ball up on just over the half way line and powered his way forward with other City players who made decoy runs and so the United defence opened up for Mak as he ran into the box and shot hard and low into the far corner of the goal.

The second half saw United play a lot better and force City back a lot more; but their lack of real quality up front was not enough to really test the quality of City's back four or force Joe Clegg in City's goal into a decent save.

Second placed Liverpool won three nil at home against West Brom today and so they are still seven points behind City. However Liverpool play Manchester United at home next week which if the score ends in a draw could quite effectively hand City the title.



City: Clegg(GK), Trippier(Capt.), Cunningham, Wabara, Boyata, Tutte, Benali(Elabadellaoiu 86), Ibrahim, Mak(Redshaw 90), Nimley-Tchuimeni, Chantler.

Subs: E. Johansen(GK), Tse, Cieslewicz.


The U16s did not fair as well as United won that game 2-1 after City had taken the lead.