U18's vs. Man City (H) Sat 25th Aug - Match Report

[Powlay 35]

Middlesbrough hosted Manchester City in their first home game of the new U18 premier development league after drawing away from home against Palace last Saturday.

 

Middlesbrough started with a 5-2-1-2 formation, Bennett and Kitching at right and left back and 2nd year Weledji alongside 1st years Robbie Tinkler and England U17 Priestly Griffiths. Jordan Jones and Bryn Morris were in midfield with Jimmy Warnett slightly advanced behind Bradley Fewster and Adam Garrity.

 

Both sides took a few minutes to settle. Adam Garrity, a 2nd year, started hyped up. He constantly chased, harried and harassed the city back line and due to his height often he dragged Swan, the city captain, wide with him. It was a Garrity tackle that nearly allowed Boro to break, he slid in and gained possession and played in Fewster who flicked it inside to Warnett who looked to be streaking clear but the young forward miss controlled the ball and the chance was gone.

 

1st year left back Mark Kitching was supporting well down the left linking up well with Jordan Jones. Jones had the first real Boro effort, collecting the ball from Fewster who had been laid in by Bryn Morris. Jones strike though was high and didn’t trouble the Lawlor in the City goal. Jones was a spark for Boro and he went close again moments later when he skipped past his marker and beat another before using the space created when Garrity and Fewster both pulled wide to get closer, he slight5ly sliced the ball though and it went wide of goal. Boro were pushing and created another chance, this time Morris cut in from the right side and struck the ball with his left, the City keeper was behind it and saved easily.

 

Manchester City looked very well structured, their players dropping back into position quickly and they looked to break through Cole and Pozo. They won a penalty when Griffiths tripped the impressive Pozo. The same player placed the ball and struck it well to Montgomery’s right, but the Boro stopper was equal to it, going full length to get a strong hand to it.

 

Penalty save – Boro Montgomery

 

Half time – Middlesbrough 0 Manchester City 0

 

Man City Subs – Smith-Brown on, Facey off. El Fitouri on, Plummer off.

 

City started the second half the better side, they seemed to go up a gear so to say. Pozo, a young player Man City signed from Real Madrid in a deal that could be worth €3.5m looked a different class. He was found wide left and skipped past Tinkler to the goal line, he pulled the ball back to Cole whose strike bounced off Weledji and into the hands of Montgomery.

 

At the other end Bryn Morris floated in a delightful cross, Garrity struggled as he was caught between heading it or taking it on the volley and the ball fell to the keeper. Boro came back into the game and equalled Man City in all parts of the pitch. Jordan Jones was simply head and shoulders above those around him. Making space for himself with little shimmy’s, step over’s and bursts of speed. He made space for himself before dropping the ball cleverly into Bradley Fewster, he turned and struck the ball agonisingly close from 20 yards out.

 

Boro Sub – Garrity off, Armstrong on.

Man City sub – Cole off, Hardy on.

 

Manchester city took the lead with a fantastic breakaway goal, Middlesbrough initially had a corner which was cleared and Pozo picked the ball up 10 yards inside his own half. Initially Bennett was wrong side but he managed to get back alongside Pozo but the young City forward rode his challenge before sliding the ball past the advancing James Montgomery to give the visitors the lead.

 

GOAL – MAN CITY – Pozo (57)

 

The visitors nearly doubled their lead quickly after, Pozo made space on the edge of the box and struck a powerful drive which Montgomery had to bat away.

 

Boro Sub – Fewster off, Bogey on.

 

Boro sub – Warnett off, Stephen O’Neill on.

 

Middlesbrough did have chances to level, a cross from the right was controlled by Armstrong with a great first touch but he snatched at the shot and the City keeper saved easily. Moments later Jones beat 3 men to burst into the box but his left foot strike was pushed away by the keeper.

 

Full Time Middlesbrough 0 Manchester City 1 (Pozo)

 

The result will have disappointed the players who played very well as a unit, a moment of brilliant was all that separated the two sides.

 

Boro: Montgomery, Bennett ©, Kitching, Griffiths, Tinkler, Weledji, Morris, Jones, Garrity (Armstrong), Fewster (Boagey), Warnett (Stephen O’Neill).

Unused: Bland (GK)

 

City: Lawlor, Facey (El-Fitouri 54), Swan, Plummer (Smith-Brown 46), Leigh, Byrne, Hutton, Glendon, Cole (Hardy 62), Pozo, Barker

Unused: O'Brien(GK), Horsfield

 

 

Man of the Match

Jordan Jones

He is fast becoming a name Boro fans say ‘oh I’ve heard about him.’ Today he was fantastic going forward, his step-over’s discomfort players and catches them off balance allowing him to skip past and into dangerous space. Unlucky not to score what would have been a very classy equaliser when he skipped past 3 players before having his shot saved late on.

 

 

I feel i should point people in the direction of @MCFC_NGEN_ACAD 's match report as well, i got to meet him today and is a cool guy. His report will have the opposite bias to mine http://mcfcreservesandacademy.co.uk/home/middlesboro18saway12-13/

[Downsouth 6,327]

Thanks for the report Powlay and whilst disappointing that they suffered a defeat seems a lot closer than the U21 game against the same opposition

[Zhimai 16]

a good report and more than appreciating is the way you shared us with reports written by others.

[Powlay 35]

a good report and more than appreciating is the way you shared us with reports written by others.

 

No problem, i feel its onloy right that a balanced view is sometimes needed and included @MCFC_NGEN_ACAD 's match report because it shows what he thought and its interesting to find that both reports actually tell the same thing but from slightly different angles. (i think it also shows how actually unbias both he and I are as reporters)

[Guest Toon army]

Great report mate don't agree with your mom though but each persons have there own views that is why we love the game so much on a personal view I was so chuffed with garritys performance would of like him to stay on longer though thought he give the defenders a torrid time and very very strong today .

[Powlay 35]

Who would you have given MOTM to?