City’s U18s shut out Sunderland to earn 14th successive league win | OneFootball

First half goals from Divine Mukasa and Ryan McAidoo helped City win a 14th successive league game and in turn stay top of the Under-18 Premier League North table.

It was the perfect start for Oliver Reiss’s side who were looking to solidify our spot at the league summit.

Divine Mukasa put City ahead on six minutes after a fantastic assist by Finlay Gorman.

Ryan McAidoo doubled City’s lead 60 seconds later with a low, clinical finish after some great intensity and trickery by the winger.

A much more difficult second half saw Sunderland enjoy better chances but a resolute City back line held the Black Cats at bay to record an eighth clean sheet of the campaign and in turn stay two points clear of Manchester United at the top.

WHAT HAPPENED

A change of season and sunny skies made for an idyllic backdrop to our latest league assignment at the City Football Academy.

After a 5-2 triumph over the Black Cats in the reverse fixture back in September and with the added confidence boost of 13 consecutive league wins, Reiss’s side looked calm and confident as the game got under way.

But it would be Sunderland who carved out the first chance. Arron Chungh fired an effort goal bound inside the opening two minutes but City 'keeper Max Hudson did well to get low and collect the strike.

But Reiss’s side were un-phased as they then looked to get time on the ball. And after an initial deflected effort from Matty Warhurst, Mukasa broke the deadlock after just six minutes.

He was teed up by Gorman who placed a perfectly weighted ball over the top of Sunderland’s defence with Mukasa running in behind to nod home from close range.

Our opponents lost the ball instantly when they got the game back under way. And City were quick to punish the visitors once more.

McAidoo received the ball near the halfway line, nutmegged his marker and ran towards goal. To give himself more space to shoot, he opted for his right foot and placed the ball just out of reach for Ben Metcalf who watched the shot roll into the bottom left corner.

It was almost the perfect 10 minutes for City as Christian Dunbar-McDonald was then denied by the left post after his quick feet saw him find a pocket of space just inside the Sunderland box.

City continued to show impressive intensity, pressing Sunderland high up the pitch when out of possession.

Saves from Ben Metcalf denied both Mukasa and McAidoo from adding to their tally as we approached the half hour mark.

But as half time approached, the Black Cats enjoyed the final few chances of the game. Hudson was called into action, pulling out a series of strong saves.

Another early spell from the visitors saw Hudson once again called into action once the second half got underway. The shot stopper pulled off a fantastic punch to deny an in-swinging corner eight minutes into the second half.

City were a little more reluctant to attack as much in the second half and in turn Sunderland continued to create a flurry of chances.

The best opportunity fell to skipper Ben Kindon who headed a well-worked free kick onto the right post and City scrambled to clear on 70 minutes.

A triple change just before the Sunderland set-piece added fresh legs to City and with our FA Youth Cup trip to West Bromwich Albion next week managing minutes was an important factor for Reiss.

City thought we had finally found a third through Warhurst who reacted the quickest to Metcalf spilling his initial save that denied substitute Luca Fletcher. But the City number nine was deemed to be in an offside position when Fletcher fired his shot goal bound.

Mukasa's eye-catching trickery near full-time caused more Sunderland issues but his thumping effort was blocked by the outstretched Metcalf once again.

It would prove to be the final chance for either team as City held out for a vital three points as the title race with Manchester United continues to heat up.

HOW WE LINED UP

Max Hudson picked up his 10th Under-18 Premier League North appearance in between the sticks.

In front of him, Dante Headley, Harrison Parker, Kian Noble and Kaden Braithwaite were tasked with protecting City’s goal.

Femi Fapetu was back in Reiss’s starting line-up in the heart of City’s midfield. Alongside him, in-form Finlay Gorman and Divine Mukasa were ready to help City transition from defence to attack.

Matty Warhurst, Christian Dunbar-McDonald and Ryan McAidoo made up City’s attacking line.

CITY XI | Hudson, Headley, Parker, Noble, Braithwaite (C), Fapetu (Tevenan 69’), McAidoo (Midwood 69’), Gorman (F. Samba 77’), Warhurst, Mukasa, Dunbar-McDonald (Fletcher 69’).

UNUSED SUBS | Doran.

SUNDERLAND XI | Metcalf, Holcroft, Lightfoot, Hunt (Dinsdale 61’), Kindon, Parker (Forsyth 82’), Hester, Neild, Neill, Chungh (Proctor 78’), Scott (Barker 82’)

UNUSED SUBS | Bowman.

WHAT IT MEANS

City retain top sport in the Under-18 Premier League North table.

We have 43 points from 16 games with United on 41 from the same number of matches.

UP NEXT

To complete our February fixtures for the Under-18s, we travel to the Hawthorns for our FA Youth Cup quarter-final.

We take on West Bromwich Albion on Thursday 27 February, with kick-off scheduled for 19:00 (UK).