To celebrate the success of Academy U18 team, led by John Rudkin, we also feature a second match report on the victory on Tyneside, with Newcastle based City fan, David Pertab given his account of the day.
Almost 5,000 were at the Stadium of Light to watch Leicester City emerge as FA Premier League Academy champions after a close final with Sunderland. Max Gradel put Leicester 1-0 up after just four minutes with a shot from outside the area, but Sunderland made a quick reply, scoring directly from a corner kick a minute later. Sunderland had the lion's share of the possession for most of the first half but failed to make the most of their chances, with City keeper Carl Pentney making some good saves.
Towards the end of the first half, Leicester applied some more pressure, with several goal scoring opportunities being made from the wings, Max Gradel looking particularly lively on the right. Billy McKay gave Leicester the lead again just before half time, after receiving a ball from the right flank, unmarked in the centre of the Sunderland penalty area.
Leicester carried their momentum into the second half and had Sunderland on the back foot. However, they failed to create many clearcut chances – Sunderland now doubling up on Gradel – and therefore didn't increase their lead. As the half progressed Sunderland came back into the game, getting a series of crosses into the box. However, Eric Odhiambo's pace was a constant threat on the counter, and he played Billy McKay in behind the Sunderland defence, but McKay failed to score his second, as his low shot was saved comfortably. Sunderland's pressure paid off as Robbie Weir headed in from a corner 10 minutes from time….
As the players grew tired in extra time, the game began to become increasingly stretched. Sunderland created the best chances but failed to convert, struggling to hit the target in the first half. In the second period of extra time, Pentney was forced to make several impressive saves as Sunderland continued to press for the winning goal. A Sunderland header from a corner floated over the bar by just a foot. Minutes later, a ball into the Leicester box was not properly cleared, and Pentney had to make a superb recovery to block a shot from David Dowson. Immediately the ball came back into the box and Scott Lycett had to head clear a scrambled goalward bound effort.
Leicester had another lucky let-off when a Dowson header hit the crossbar with the keeper beaten. During this period, Leicester's midfield of Andy King and Fraser Tuttle, a second half substitute, did their best to impose themselves on the game, Tuttle getting a foot in wherever possible, but a winner seemed imminent, either from Sunderland's delivery from the wings, or from a fast Leicester counter-attack. Lycett had a chance from a corner but his header sailed over . There was cause for concern just before the end of extra time, when Carl Pentney dived at the feet of an oncoming Sunderland striker and came off worse in the collision. Fortunately he was fit to continue after some treatment from the physio, and the ref blew for the end of the second period of extra time soon after.
Sunderland were to kick first in the shootout, but Pentney guessed correctly and saved Jack Colback's kick as he dived to his left. Ashley Chambers, the first kicker for Leicester, struck his penalty into the bottom left of the goal giving his team the lead. Sunderland scored their next penalty but their third was shanked high and into the stand behind the goal, while Odhiambo and Gradel both hit the back of the net to give Leicester a 3-1 lead, Gradel's excellent penalty powered high into the left corner of the goal.
Nathan Luscombe made the score 3-2 as he netted for Sunderland, and Scott Lycett had his effort saved by keeper Trevor Carson, missing the chance to win the shootout after only four kicks each. Michael Kay scored from the spot for Sunderland, making sudden death a possibility, but Leicester left-back Joe Mattock beat the keeper with his spot kick to make Leicester champions.
After the match, a member of the Leicester management staff claimed it had been "their worst performance of the season", but it was certainly high in entertainment value and it is most encouraging for the future that the team had the spirit to last until the final and take the trophy home.
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation