Two defeats I'm afraid for the Academy sides this morning. The Under 18's lost 2-0 to their West Ham counterparts with both goals coming from either City centreback being robbed of the ball on the edge of their own box.
It wasn't a bad game, but West Ham seemed a bit bigger and more powerful than our boys and were probably two goals better than us.
The Under 16s were beaten 2-1.
Saturday September 24th v Spurs
The Under 16s lost again I'm afraid, this time by 4-0. The funny thing was that during the first half when I looked over to their game from the Under 18s match, they were doing everything but score, but a penalty awarded against them early in the second half which left them 2-0 down effectively ended the game and Spurs ran out easy winners.
However an Under 18 team lacking four regulars who were off playing for Wales Under 17s made up for that with a good 3-1 win. City ended a pretty even first half two goals up - the first came after about twenty minutes as captain Michael Cochoran side footed home first time from about the penalty spot after the Spurs keeper had blocked a Coombs shot and then Scott McCoubrey seized on a poor back pass to lob over the keeper's head and into the net just before the interval.
Spurs came out determined to get back into the game after the break and Scott Allison was called on to make some smart saves, however, when Allison palmed away another effort around ten minutes into the second half, the ball fell to a Spurs player who scored easilly from about ten yards out.
After that, it got a little bit like watching the first team when they have been in front lately as the opposition had most of the ball and territorial advantage, the difference being though that although Spurs got into dangerous positions, they never really created much in the way of chances.
The introuduction of reserve team regulars Curtis McDonald and Joe Jacobson as substitutes for the last twenty minutes or so bolstered City and they both became influential figures as Spurs left more and more gaps at the back as they pushed for an equaliser. Chances were created on a regular basis in the last ten minutes or so with nearly all of them falling to McCoubrey who, on another day, could have scored four or five - as it was, he doubled his tally when, just before the final whistle, a strong run and good pass by Jacobson put him clear in a one and one with the keeper and he confidently rolled the ball past him to seal the win.
This coming Saturday, October 1st the youngsters are playing away at Coventry City.