Forthcoming Fixtures

The two sides had already met each other in an academy match at Platt Lane,earlier in the season. A game in which City ran out 1-0 narrow winners.

So this was always going to prove to be a stern test, especially as the side was missing three key players, Luke Coulson(was named amongst the subs), Adam Drury & Bradley Robinson and decided to name rookie Irish keeper Ian Lawlor between the sticks for only his second appearance of the season(his first being in last weeks academy game at Stoke)

Defensive frailities were to provide the undoing for City as they crashed out of the FA Youth cup thanks to two early Forest goals and despite midfielder George Evans pulling a goal back twenty minutes from time, there was to be no way back

With City edged a narrow one nil victory in the league when these two teams met earlier in the season and so they knew they would be up against things and being the first time that most of the players playing in a large stadium as most of City's players were first years and a couple of schoolboys and perhaps it was that youthfulness that was making City nervous as Nottingham Forest started the game with much more purpose.

City's defense opened up when a free kick from the right was floated in and the usual strength of dominating in the air was not there as the Forest defender Neill Byrne was able to get his head to the ball and put it past Ian Lawlor in the City goal.

Things got a lot worse for City just five minutes later when Forest worked themselves down their left and the ball came over to the far post where Forest forward Patrick Bamford was able to stoop down and squeeze his header in at the near post to make it two nil.

Forest continued to dominate much of the half but just like the league game they  have not got the most composed players up front and they failed to capitalise further on their domination of attackig possession.

Kim Skogsrud appeared to be suffering cramp and so was replaced by Luke Coulson just three minutes after the break and so the back four was shuffled around a bit and this helped City looked a little bit more balanced and the fullbacks were able to get forward more.

City's first real opening came in the sixty ninth minute when a corner was swung in and Kieran Kennedy rose well but his header was cleared of the line and Forest never really cleared their lines and City forced another corner.

This time City made it pay as the ball was swung in and was nearly put in at the first attempt but the clearance was weak and there was schoolboy George evans to fire the ball into the back of the goal.

City thought that there was a shout for a penalty later on when they thought one of the Forest defenders handled the ball on the line but from our position it appeared to be the goalkeeper. City looked better after that goal but never created a clear enough opening to deserve to get the opportunity to take the game to extra time.

The good thing we can say is that only four of the starting eleven for City will not get another opportunity to play for the right to win this prestigious trophy as we were quite a young team.

Teams:

Nottingham Forest:

Gathercole, Kay, Osborn, Morgan, Lascelles, Byrne, Artymatas, Meadows, Bamford, Reynor, Wallace

Subs: Andrews, Smith,Laifis, Swindell, Papworth 

Manchester City:

Lawlor, Veseli, Meppen-Walters, Kennedy, K Skogsrud (Coulson 48), Clowes, Rusnak (Hippias 57), Evans, Bunn, Roman-Angel, Henshall

Subs: Karius(GK), T Skogsrud, King 

Attendance: