U21s Report: Wolves 0 City 1

The young striker was quickest to react when Jon Flatt saved Michael Cain’s initial effort to earn the Foxes a fifth straight league win, and one which sees them leapfrog Manchester United into eighth position with just three games of the season remaining. 

Sean St Ledger and Tom Hopper played the full 90 for City, who despite creating the better opportunities, had to show their resilience against a determined and spirited Wolves. 

Afterwards, Development Squad boss Steve Beaglehole told LCFC.com: “I knew that Wolves would be well organised because of the manager they have at the club. They were very difficult to break down, but in the first half I thought we were brilliant in the way we broke quickly and created chances. 

“We needed to be a bit more clinical, but you have to give credit to the opposition, who defended very well. It was a very entertaining encounter – a proper football match. Tackles and headers were flying in all over the park. 

“Our work ethic was superb. Harry Panayiotou got the goal with a terrific finish, and if we’d have scored a second we might have gone on from there, but we didn’t and they stayed in it. 

“Adam Smith then made a good save and we had to make a few clearances. You don’t always get what you deserve, but I thought tonight we did because we really were resilient when we had to be.” 

With the confidence of a 4-1 victory over Reading behind them, the Foxes looked to make a positive start to the match, and did carve out the better of the early openings. 

First Hopper managed to work a shooting opportunity on his left foot which was well blocked, before Jacob Blyth’s effort rebounded into the path of Joe Dodoo, whose 20-yarder was tipped over the crossbar. 

The front four were causing plenty of problems for the hosts, and on 30 minutes Blyth must have thought he’d grabbed the opener when he stretched to turn Kieran Kennedy’s low cross in, only for Kortney Hause to block on the line. 

Tim Jakobsson then lashed an effort wide during a rare foray forward for Wolves, while at the other end, Ryan Watson’s shot from a Hopper cutback found only the hands of home ‘keeper Jon Flatt. 

Both teams emerged unchanged from the break, but it was Wolves who had the first chance. A nice one-two between Jamie O’Hara and Sam Whittall saw the latter shoot from 12 yards, but an excellent block from Kennedy denied him. 

At the other end Blyth fired in a pile driver following a Cain corner, but it couldn’t find its way through a crowded penalty area. 

It wasn’t long before that all-important first goal arrived though, and it deservedly came for the Foxes. Cain had wound up a powerful half volley from 25 yards that Flatt could only parry into the path of Panayiotou, who slotted home for 1-0. 

Knowing that three points would be a significant help in their quest for a top half finish, City stepped it up a gear with Panayiotou firing narrowly wide before another 25 yard drive from Cain forced an acrobatic stop from Flatt. 

O’Hara’s growing influence for the home side was a concern for City, but his passing wasn’t able to unlock their defence as the game entered it’s final 20 minutes, with the defensive pairing of St Ledger and George Taft anticipating everything. 

There were still chances at both ends though. For City, Watson fired over from range while Wolves will have felt they should have done better when Jakobsson headed wide at the far post from Anthony Forde’s cross. 

Wolves continued to press, but a resilient City side saw out the game and took a huge step towards securing a top 11 spot ahead of the visit of Everton to King Power Stadium on 9 April. 

WOLVES: Flatt, Kellerman, Jakobsson (Erdei 85), Kostrna, Hause, Tank, Parry (Carter 62), O’Hara, Keita, Whittall (Torras 87), Forde 

SUBS NOT USED: Dutton, Weeks 

CITY: Smith, Kennedy, Elder, Watson, St Ledger, Taft, Panayiotou, Cain, Blyth, Hopper, Dodoo (Barrington 80) 

SUBS NOT USED: Anton, Simpson, McCourt, Dawson 

GOAL: Panayiotou 55 

ATTENDANCE: 230