Muir and Warhurst extra time strikes sees City through to U18 PL Cup final

Manchester City F.C.

·2 March 2024

Muir and Warhurst extra time strikes sees City through to U18 PL Cup final

Heroic extra time goals from Ashton Muir and Matty Warhurst secured City's 3-1 win over Leicester City and our place in the competition's final.

The hosts took a surprising lead as they caught City off guard with a quick high press which earned Tommy Neale the opening goal for Leicester in the 28th minute.

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Jaden Heskey's second half strike saw the game go to extra time after City fought relentlessly for the equaliser.

Substitutes Ashton Muir and Matty Warhurst secured City's place in the final with late strikes that mean we face United for an all-Manchester Under-18 Premier League Cup final.

WHAT HAPPENED

A chilly Academy pitch at the pristine Leicester City training ground played host to our Under-18 Premier League Cup semi-final as we face ninth-placed Under-18 Premier League South Leicester.

City dominated the opening 20 minutes with Emilio Lawrence, Luca Fletcher, Seb Naylor and Divine Mukasa all unleashing shots towards the Leicester goal but unable to make the back of the net bulge.

Leicester’s Jayden Joseph’s 25-yard free-kick left the crowd gasping for air as his set piece drifted just wide of the left post, but it looked like an outstretched Spike Brits would have had it covered had it been on target.

Moments later Reece Evans was played through on goal after Kian Noble misjudged the flight of the ball. Brits, however, did enough to put the Leicester striker off as his shot flew high and over the bar.

Tommy Neale put the visitors ahead, against the run of play, after he dispossessed Mukasa with a slight shove in the back while City attempted to play out from the back on 28 minutes.

The Foxes’ high press was causing City problems with Ben Wilkinson’s side finding it difficult to build momentum from the back line. The hosts were clearly going to make City work extremely hard to score at least an equaliser.

Mukasa flashed his shot across the face of the Leicester goal three minutes before the interval as City looked to level the playing field for the second half. Long spells of possession mixed with loose passes as our frustration grew meant the hosts held onto their lead when the half-time whistle blew.

Wilkinson’s youngsters needed to stay calm and focused on the tall task they faced. The moment the second half began they looked to string more passes together and dominate possession better than the first half.

But Leicester’s defensive structure for the opening 10 minutes meant we shouldn’t test Harry French in between the sticks.

Alfa-Ruprecht’s cross was sliced by captain Bobby Amartey in an attempt to clear his box but City weren’t quick enough to close down the second ball a minute short of the hour mark.

A flurry of substitutions quickly followed with Ashton Muir, Matty Warhurst and Michael Okeke all taking to the pitch for Alfa-Ruprecht, Fletcher and Emilio Lawrence.

Their injection of energy was exactly what City needed.

A collision between the Leicester keeper and his defender followed by a flurry of toes attempting to connect with the ball, it was Heskey, who was moved up into the nine position, who poked the ball into the back of the net to draw City level.

Brits denied R. Evans who looked to regain Leicester’s lead instantly before a quick counter by City saw Mukasa play Warhurst through before his dinked ball into the box was met by Muir’s header that went straight into French’s hands.

Brits was called into action to stop a R. Evans shot again before Henderson-Hall blocked Ryan Donnelly’s close-range strike in a Leicester attack against the run of play.

City gave Leicester no other opportunities with our resilient 11 players working hard for each other to keep the ball or regain it as quickly as possible before the full-time whistle blew and another 30 minutes of football approached in the form of extra time.

City began extra time with the same intensity. Kian Noble’s headed effort from a corner drifted just over the cross bar two minutes into the added 30 minutes.

Brits denied McAlinney this time after Mfuni was dispossessed in City’s half and it would prove to be Leicester's only chance of the first 15 minutes of extra time.

A threatening cross from the right on 104 minutes was met by Muir. His initial attempt was saved by French but the keeper couldn't keep Muir's second strike out as he swung for the ball while falling.

The 18-year-old celebrated lying down and fist pumping the air.

Leicester looked tired and deflated while City's momentum continued to rise.

And in the 117th minute Matty Warhurst confirmed City's place in the Under-18 Premier League Cup final with a right-footed effort which crept into the bottom left corner in the final attack for either side.

HOW WE LINED UP

Spike Brits was deployed in between the sticks with a back four of Matty Henderson-Hall, Kian Noble, Stephen Mfuni and Seb Naylor just in front.

City’s engine room saw Femi Fapetu deployed as City’s number six with skipper Jaden Heskey and Divine Mukasa either side.

City’s attacking line was led by in-form striker Luca Fletcher with Emilio Lawrence and Farid Alfa-Ruprecht deployed on the wings.

LEICESTER XI | French, Aluko, Ali (Khela 68’) Neale, McAlinney (Donnelly 60’), Amartey, J. Evans, Jospeh, R. Evans (Toure 78’), Onanaye, Otchere (Thomas 100’)

UNUSED SUBS | Bausor

CITY XI | Brits, Henderson-Hall (Batty 106’), Noble, Mfuni, Naylor, Fapetu, Alfa-Ruprecht (Okeke 60’), Heskey ©, Fletcher (Warhurst 60’), Mukasa, Lawrence (Muir 60’)

UNUSED SUBS | Whatmuff