West Bromwich Albion Cannot Bag City

WBAFC U18s 2 - 3 MCFC U18s

Despite five changes for City due to the youth cup semi final next Wednesday a resurgent West Bromwich Albion could not stop the City juggernaut as they march ever on towards the league title thanks to a Dedryck Boyata goal and a brace from Jack Redshaw ensured that City remained unbeaten for the season.

With City's first team away at Chelsea it was an ideal opportunity for me to make my first journey to West Brom's academy as Wolverhampton had been the furthest I had travelled previously. West Brom use the same facilities as the first team training ground to the south of Walsall just off the A34.

City started quite poorly as most players were getting used to each other and so it was not a surprise when West Brom took the lead in the seventh minute as City's midfield was being over-run and the ball came out to the right and was the cross was curled outwards and the West Brom player ran in unchallenged and Joe Clegg got a hand to the shot but could not keep it out.

City levelled on sixteen minutes when good work by captain Kieran trippier and Ahmed Benali on the right allowed Benali to release Redshaw who ran in and fired in a shot that was deflected just wide of the post. The resulting corner was sent in by Trippier and there was Boyata unmarked on the spot to stoop and head powerfully into the bottom right corner of the goal.

The remainder of the half was real end to end stuff with both goalkeepers pulling off very fine saves to deny the opposition as City grew in confidence from their early set back but despite both team's chances both teams went into the break only have scored one goal a piece.

City confirmed yet another unbeaten game in a three minute spell early in the second half. City's second goal came when Greg Cunningham played a good forward ball into Robbie Mak who touched the ball on for Redshaw who drifted out before firing a strong hard shot across the goalkeeper and into the far post.

Three minutes later and it was three when Trippier played the ball forward to his right flank partner Benali and he sent in a first time deep cross where Redshaw was running in and he beat the defender and the goalkeeper as he pushed out to slot the ball into the back of the goal.

West Brom scored a late goal that made the final couple of minutes more nervous than they needed to be as their big Centre forward powered forward to beat the offside trap and play the ball into the bottom corner.

On returning to Manchester, City will have seen that Manchester United have lost at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers; meaning that City are now fifteen points clear and now realistically only need six more points from the final seven games to win the title. Not that they will settle for that as clearly they would like to remain unbeaten for the whole season.


City: Clegg(GK), Trippier(Capt.)(Chantler 71), Cunningham, Tse, Boyata(Wabara 65), Elabdellaoui, Benali, Mitchell, Mak, Redshaw, Helan.

Subs: Dean(GK), Carter, Smith.


Unfortunately West Brom scored a two nil victory over our young U16s side.