City run riot in victory over Leeds

Manchester City have won at home again in an emphatic 6-2 victory against Leeds United at the City Football Academy in the Under-18s Premier League North.

City produced a dominant first half display as goals from Max Alleyne, Joel Ndala and Dan Ogwuru put us in the driving seat, but the visitors got a goal back through Kian Coleman late on in the half to give the away side hope.

Ogwuru and Ndala both scored their second goals of the game, before the Whites were awarded a penalty which Luca Thomas confidently converted.

Nico O’Reilly smashed in an effort late on in the game, as City respond perfectly to their first league defeat of the season against Everton a fortnight ago.

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WHAT HAPPENED

On a rather grey and dull afternoon at the City Football Academy, it was Leeds who started the quicker.

A free kick by Luca Thomas smacked against the post, before Ben Andreucci thought he headed the visitors into an early lead, but fortune was in our hands as the linesman raised his flag for offside.

After a slow start, we managed to grow into the game, as we pushed up the pitch after a testing start.

Ezra Carrington overlapped to join the attack and crossed the ball low into Dan Ogwuru, but his effort agonisingly went straight at the keeper.

Moments later, a short corner routine ended up with Matty Whittingham, who played the ball across for Max Alleyne, who swept home as we took the lead – this was his first goal in the Manchester blue jersey.

City’s possession style of play was on full show, as silky build-up play from the defence ended up with O’Reilly on the edge of the Leeds box, he played through the oncoming Joel Ndala and his placed low shot found the far corner to double our advantage.

An energetic Whittingham did well to break up play in the middle of the park, and he quickly fired a ball to Justin Oboavwuduo, who crossed to Ogwuru but his sublime chipped shot over the keeper was deemed offside.

Leeds were pushing to get themselves back into the game, and this left a lot of space at the back, which City exploited.

As Ndala played through Tom Galvez who made an inverted run into the box, he chipped a cross to Ogwuru and the ball bounced off his upper body and into the net to put us in cruise control at the CFA.

But in stoppage time at the end of the half, the visitors charged forward and Harvey Vincent laid the ball off to Kian Coleman who darted towards the goal before smashing an effort past George Murray-Jones to give Leeds a glimmer of hope heading into half time.

We started the second half in with the intent of scoring more goals, as Oboavwuduo and Ndala had flashes of goal early on.

Whittingham had the ball in the midfield and his through ball met Ogwuru, who fired an effort to hard for the keeper to hold and as the ball rolled towards the goal, Alfie Cresswell made an attempt to clear it, but it went over the line to cement our three-goal advantage again.

The scoring only continued, as Whittingham, who was causing the Leeds defence a host of problems, had the ball on the edge of the box before he played it to Ndala, who cut inside before curling in his brace.

But the visitors responded instantly as they awarded a spot kick, which Luca Thomas put away confidently to reduce the deficit for a second time.

Ben Wilkinson’s young charges were still penetrating late on, as a bad clearance by the Leeds defence ended up with Nico O’Reilly, who smashed in our sixth.

We saw the game out to make it 31 matches unbeaten at home in the league, a record that stretches back to November 2019.

HOW WE LINED UP

Murray-Jones was positioned between the posts, with a back four of Ezra Carrington, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Max Alleyne and Tom Galvez protecting him.

Charlie Gray played in a deep lying midfield role, with Nico O’Reilly and Matty Whittingham playing further ahead in the engine room.

Daniel Ogwuru made an appearance as he wore the number nine shirt, with Joel Ndala and Justin Oboavwoduo taking their positions on the flanks.

Manchester City Under-18s

Starting XI: Murray-Jones, Carrington, Simpson-Pusey, Alleyne, Galvez, Gray, O’Reilly (C), Whittingham, Oboavwuduo, Ogwuru, Ndala

SUBS: Grant, Okeke, Harrison, Heskey, Alfa-Ruprecht

Leeds United Under-18s

Starting XI: Ombang, Buchan, Ferguson, Coleman, Toulson, Dawber, Douglas, Crew, Andreucci, Thomas, Wilson

SUBS: Mahady, Cresswell, Chadwick, Chambers, Vincent

WHAT IT MEANS

An impressive win for Ben Wilkinson’s side makes us climb up to fourth in the Under-18s Premier League North table, after claiming our third win of the campaign.