MANCHESTER CITY U18 2, MANCHESTER UNITED U18 0
Goals by Luke Bolton and Phil Foden saw Manchester City’s U18 side beat a Manchester United side who were reduced to ten men after Ilias Sebtaoul was sent off for clattering Joe Hardy outside of his box in the second half.
It was hardly a bad tempered match although there were flash points in the second half as United began to mount a comeback before Sebtaoul saw red for clattering City substitute Joe Hardy.
City were already a goal to the good after Luke Bolton’s 23rd minute opener and United were getting back into the game in the second half before they were reduced to ten men.
Phil Foden made the result safe with City’s second goal in the 79th minute to the delight of watching City fans.
Foden had fired over the bar early on while George Tanner had a shot cleared after the derby kicked off on Saturday lunchtime.
The more physically imposing United side prevented City from playing the football that they wanted, with Ro-Shaun Williams booked for an early foul on City’s danger-man Jadon Sancho, before the home side opened the scoring.
It was a neat move after 23 minutes, with Sancho skipping over the challenge of Lee O’Connor before unselfishly squaring the ball to present 16-year-old Luke Bolton with a tap in at the far post.
Sancho almost provided a second for Lorenzo Jose Gonzalez four minutes later when he dug out a ball at the touchline and pulled it back for his team mate only to see him miss the target from outside the area.
The English wide-man almost put through Gonzalez again in the 40th minute but United conceded a free kick when Ilias Sebtaoui was adjudged to have picked up a back pass.
Tahith Chong, who was behind much of United’s best work driving forward from midfield, forced an acrobatic save from Arijanet Muric when he shot into the ground and the deflection looped up into the air just before half time.
City were much more fluent in the second half with Sancho continuing to pull the strings, laying on a chance for Phil Foden which was deflected away while second half sub Ian Carlo Poveda-Ocampo provided a threat down the right.
Williams was a little lucky to stay on the pitch after Poveda-Ocampo had a confrontation with the United midfielder, who had already been booked, after the latter went down a little too easily following a tackle.
United saw more of the ball after that but there was more action taken when Joe Hardy was clattered hard by Ilias Sebtaoul outside the area in a race for the ball.
With Hardy motionless on the pitch Sebtaoul was confronted by Sancho as outraged players converged on the United ‘keeper.
Referee Kenwyn Hughes had no option but to punish the transgression and duly sent off Sebtaoul for the last man challenge and booked Sancho and Muric for running into the fray afterwards.
Going down to ten men ended the United second half renaissance and Phil Foden’s deflected second half effort made sure of victory for City.