U21s Report: City 4 Blaby & Whetstone 2

Athletic substitute Stu Verrall gave his side hope with a goal less than two minutes after the second half kick-off, but City’s superiority showed as they continued to carve out the better chances. 

Blaby & Whetstone’s task was made harder with 15 minutes left when striker Lee Barratt made a poor challenge on Brandon Fox, resulting in both players leaving the field – the Athletic man through a red card and the City youngster on a stretcher. 

Foxes substitute Jak McCourt then rounded off the victory with a superb free kick that curled in off the post with around 10 minutes remaining, and while Aaron Preston netted late on, City had done enough. 

Tom Hopper led the line for a young City side that gave a debut to Scott, who joined the group on a free transfer from Swansea last month. 

And it was a bright start to the match from the Foxes, who immediately put their opponents under pressure in the final third – Michael Cain and Joe Dodoo both going close inside five minutes. 

There wasn’t long to wait for the first goal, as just three minutes later Australian left back Elder raced onto a pass and shot first time from the left corner of the box into the near corner of the net. 

City smelled blood against the retreating Athletic but saw a string of chances go begging – Barmby having the best of them when he ran half the length of the pitch only to lift his effort over the bar. 

Shortly before the hour mark debutant Scott got in on the act to give City a deserved 2-0 lead. The ball fell to him 20 yards out and he wasted no time in dispatching a powerful effort past the goalkeeper. 

Tom Hopper then tested Ben Jackson before Barmby added a third from a half-cleared Cain corner – his first time shot from 12 yards flying past a goalkeeper who had no time to react. 

City looked comfortable going into the second half, but they were caught by surprise less than two minutes into the second half when substitute Stu Morrell latched onto a ball and produced a neat finish past Johnny Maddison. 

The Foxes maintained overall control, but Athletic were much improved in the second 45 minutes – Stu Morrell again testing Maddison with a good effort. 

At the other end Cain failed to make the most of a free kick from a good position as the Foxes tried to carve apart their opponents like they had in the opening 45 minutes, but to no avail. 

With 15 minutes to play referee Kevin Friend was left with no option other than to issue a straight red to Athletic no.9 Barrett, who went in dangerously on City sub Fox, who left the field of play on a stretcher. 

McCourt then stepped up and curled the resulting free kick in off the post – making it 4-1, and despite Aaron Preston’s emphatic stoppage time finish, they had earned their victory. 

CITY: Maddison, Pearson, Elder (McCourt 46), Rowley, Sesay (c) (Moore 62), Kennedy, Scott, Cain, Hopper (Panayiotou 46), Dodoo (Fox 76), Barmby (Dawson 46) 

SUBS NOT USED: Smith 

GOALS: Elder 9, Scott 28, Barmby 37, McCourt 79 

BLABY & WHETSTONE: Jackson, Towers, Hawker, Reynolds, Lavin (c), Wilson, Hirst, Hill, Barratt, A. Preston, J. Preston 

SUBS: Statham, Tyler, Verrell, Porter, Morrell 

GOALS: Morrell 47, A. Preston 90