City U18s 1 Liverpool U18s 5
Like many other City fans, braving below zero temperatures at the Walkers for the second time in 3 days, I arrived eagerly anticipating our U18’s side extending their fantastic unbeaten record.
Instead I witnessed our side receive a good evenings education from a Liverpool side that we had beaten 3 -0 earlier this season, on how to be physically stronger, break at pace and take the vast majority of chances that came their way.
The very early action mainly saw City on the attack, with the best chance in the 2nd minute created from a Taft long throw, which ended with a Hobin cross which was put wide.
However in the 5th minute, Ngoo broke with a pace down the left and put in a superb cross which Dalla Valle met with a good header to give Liverpool the lead.
City responded with a John run cutting inside and having a shot blocked, however action quickly switched to the other end when a Buchtmann shot was weakly parried by Ambrusics and Dalla Valle quickly added his second of the night…..
With the confidence of the season so far, City’s heads didn’t drop and Hobin quickly featured in two attacks, the first a mazy run drew a foul and from the resulting free kick, Yussuf had a half chance, while Hobins quick one two led to a corner. In the 14th minute a good Hicks through ball found Yussef, who chose to place his shot and was unlucky to hit the outside of the right hand post.
Milne’s influence on the game grew, his right wing cross in the 19th minute found Chamberlain who headed just over the bar and then in the 21st minute his accurate free kick found Bolger’s head with the same result. In between these 2 headers, Yussuf had found the woodwork for the second time, when his strong run ended with a lobbed shot which hit the bar and was cleared.
On the 26th minute Ngoo missed Liverpool’s easiest chance of the night, but he made up for it in the 31st minute when following a City corner, he threaded a superb ball through from his own half to Ince who ran through and scored the third. Three minutes later, Dalla Valle completed his hat trick from a Buchtmann cross after Hobin had took too long to get the ball under control on the left.
Another Taft long throw in the 40th minute found Bolger’s head at the near post, who knocked it across goal for Parkes whose own header the keeper took comfortably. Taft’s trajectory on throw ins is far more dangerous than Neilson’s more slower lobbed approach for the first team.
So half time, and 4 -0 down, certainly not what I expected, but the “fans” (and I use the term where idiots maybe more appropriate), who chose to boo the players off the pitch, need to take a long hard look at themselves. The City side had not played badly, and anyway this game should aid the players development, which is what U18 football is all about
The second half commenced, with City having made one change. Hobin, who the Liverpool defence had sussed how to channel down blind allays, replaced by Norbin. With this change, the formation changed from having 2 wingers hugging the touchline, to a far more narrow midfield, with no one really on the left hand side.
City’s first real chance of this half came in the 52nd minute when following a short corner, a Milne cross was met with a Taft header which keeper Chamberlain saved for a further corner. Then it was Ambrusics turn to make a good save from an Ngoo header, the cross again supplied by Buchtmann.
In the 57th minute following a good move featuring Taft and Chamberlain, Yussef put the ball well over the cross bar, then on 64 minutes City hit the post again when Milne shot from the edge of the area.
City finally found the net in the 66th minute, when a good ball from Hicks found John on the right who crossed for Yussuf to make the score 1-4. Only a minute later, Elliot Chamberlain should have scored City’s second with a one on one with his namesake keeper, but shot straight at Deale Chamberlain.
Milne was the City player who impressed me most on the night, his passing accuracy was high, and two tackles in quick succession on the 68th minute showed his steely side, getting fouled with the second challenge resulting in Liverpool substitute Ellison receiving the yellow card.
In the 70th minute City replaced Taft with Knight taking over at left back, and he made a few good runs during the remainder of the game. Liverpool also made two further changes, as chances dried up until the 82nd minute when a good ball by Parkes found John, who snatched at this shot and put it well wide.
Just as I thought the goals had dried up, Ngoo wriggled his way through a series of challenges around the City penalty area before adding Liverpool’s 5th.
Terrot then replaced Moore at right back for the final few minutes, and put in a few determined challenges in his brief appearance, and also fed a good ball through to Yussuf whose shot was saved for a corner which came to nothing.
The final whistle was blown, and with it the relief that my pen hadn’t frozen over the 90 minutes documenting the events leading to the final 1 – 5 scoreline.
While obviously looking for City’s talent, Dalla Valle’s hat trick for Liverpool obviously caught the eye, but he was also good at putting defenders under pressure throughout the game, and I’m told by a Liverpool fan who watches Academy coverage on their TV channel, it was a typical performance. At the back Wisdom in particular seemed to minimise the impact our strikers had on the game.
Many City fans complain at first team level that playing Matt Oakley on the right is detrimental and that we should always play with two wingers, to increase the goals scored column and get us higher up the table. However the 0 – 4 score line when the U18’s played in this way brings into question whether this logic is sound.
Most of the best City attacking play in this game started from moves created by the central midfielders, pre dominantly by Milne, although he is obviously the U18’s dead ball specialist, but also I can think of least 3 good attacks where Hicks provided the pass.
It will be interesting to see how many of this side have made first team appearances by a couple of years time, although if we reach the Premiership the opportunity to do so, will obviously become more limited
City: Ambrusics; Moore, Taft, Milne, Bolger, Parkes, John, Hicks, Chamberlain, Yussuf, Hobin Subs: Knight (71 for Taft), Gill, Terrot (87 for Moore), Byrne, Norburn (46 for Hobin).
Liverpool: Chamberlain; Flanagan, Robinson, Wisdom, McGiveron, Coady, Buchtmann, Roberts, Ngoo, Dalla Valle, Ince Subs: Sama (72 for McGiveron), Belford, Adorjan (77 for Dalla Valle), Roddan, Ellison (61 for Robinson).
Referee: S Ledger.
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