City's Youngsters Defeat Norwich To Seal Maiden PL Cup Success
First half goals from Raúl Uche Rubio and Tyrese Shade set the hosts on their way and, while the visitors posed more of a threat after the break, Cairen Jones' late own goal handed the Foxes victory.
Midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was the only figure to keep his place in the starting XI with City’s line-up carrying a much more youthful feel for the visit of the Canaries.
In came Romania Under-21s international Alex Pascanu in defence while 2017/18 Academy Player of the Season, Connor Tee, stepped up from the Under-18s side to start in Whetstone.
Darnell Johnson, meanwhile, skippered the Development Squad for the fourth time this season in the absence of fellow Academy graduate Hamza Choudhury.
City were ahead inside six minutes as a corner was nodded back across goal from Johnson, into Uche Rubio’s path, for the Spaniard to head it into the bottom corner.
Uche Rubio, who turns 21 on Monday, almost turned provider with a marauding run down the left wing allowing him to find Tee, but the youngster’s effort was saved by Jon McCracken.
Leicester’s second was all Shade’s making, though, as the young attacker ran at Norwich and went for goal, with his shot looping off a defender’s leg and into the net.
The Canaries almost narrowed the arrears on 22 minutes as Simon Power’s cross was headed inches wide by Tom Scully, who had plenty of time to pick his spot.
On the half-hour, meanwhile, it was City’s turn to rue a missed header as Dewsbury-Hall’s free-kick, on the right flank, was nodded across goal and wide of the far post by Pascanu.
With minutes of the first period to go, Khanya Leshabela showed a superb turn of pace to evade his man, but McCracken did well to save down at his feet.
After the break, only a goal-line clearance from Alfie Payne stopped Uche Rubio from doubling his tally, heading it straight at the Norwich midfielder.
Elsewhere, Norwich's Scully waited for Caleb Richards' cross to reach him and unleashed a wicked drive at goal, but it ricocheted back off the post and safely into Viktor Johansson's grasp.
City regained control of the game and showed professionalism to see out the result, with impressive substitute Kairo Edwards-John's powerful drive worrying the visitors.
In the dying moments, the ball came off Jones in the Norwich area to make it 3-0 for the Foxes, adding a touch of gloss to the scoreline.
Who impressed?
Making his first Under-23s start of the campaign, following three cameos from the bench, this match was clearly considered as a platform to impress by Tyrese Shade.
The Foxes youngster was an industrious force for good on the flanks for the hosts and got a reward for his efforts with a superb goal to make the scoreline more comfortable.
Where does it leave us?
Leicester go top of Group D with maximum points from one game, while the two other sides in their pool, Nottingham Forest and Exeter City, meet in Alfreton on Sunday.
Coming up…
City’s Development Squad head to Gigg Lane on Tuesday 16 October for their second Checkatrade Trophy group stage fixture – against Bury (7pm BST kick-off).
The details...
City: Johansson, Ramsay, Pascanu, Ughelumba, Kaba Sherif, Johnson (c), Dewsbury-Hall, Leshabela (Edwards-John 65), Shade, Tee (Knight 67), Uche Rubio (Loft 78)
Subs not used: Bosworth, Wright*
*Withdrawn from squad due to injury in warm-up
Goals: Uche Rubio 6, Shade 17, Jones OG 90
Attendance: 225