MCFC Reserves and Academy

Wigan Lose out to Late City Winner

WAFC Reserves 0 – 1 MCFC Reserves

A late injury time winning strike from Ashley Grimes allowed City’s reserves to keep pace with the league leaders in the Premier Reserve league.
City Could have been three nil up by twenty minutes had it not been for Carlo Nash in the Wigan goal. The first chance fell to Daniel Sturridge with a fine run and shot on target. Then recent signing Djamel Abdoun unleashed a fine 30 yard drive that Nash did well to save. Then it was Sturridge’s strike partner to get in on the act, again with a fine strike on target from distance.
City then decided to fall asleep for the remainder of the half to allow Wigan to control things and force Joe Hart in goal to tip over a powerful shot when the Wigan player, Andreas Johansson, was allowed to burst through.
The start of the second half had a similar vain to the end of the first half with Wigan looking the better of the two teams, but City’s defence was more co-ordinated and Wigan were denied any real clear cut openings.
City upped the tempo when Karl Moore came on to replace Abdoun; Moore and Grimes swapped flanks so as Moore could play in his natural wide left position.
It was Moore and Michael Johnson who were pulling all the strings for City and so it was no surprise to see that Johnson released Moore to go on his run in injury time and put in a fine cross that Grimes brought down and positioned his body to drill the ball into the bottom corner past Nash.
City’s away fixture with Sheffield United has been postponed till April 24th, so City’s next fixture is now the home game with Everton on Tuesday 13th March.


Wigan: Nash(GK), Moore, Unsworth(Capt.), Cywka, Ashworth, Granqvist, Cotterill, Haestad, Aghahowa, Johansson, Owens.

Subs: Horn(GK), Montrose, Kupisz, King, Pearson.


City: Hart(GK), Logan, Williamson, D’Laryea(Capt.), Breen, Johnson, Abdoun(Moore 71), Laird, Evans, Sturridge, Grimes.

Subs: Matthewson(GK), Mee, Marshall, Obeng.

Att: About 100.


MotM: Michael Johnson – showed his quality in midfield without having a decent midfielder alongside him.

On a side note, this is the second time David Unsworth has played against our reserves, for two different teams, both on the losing side.