City reserves 1 United reserves 3

25 August 2010 08:59
| Submit Comments| Comments (23)| Printable Version1/1Play SlideshowClose MapMagnus Eikrem and Chris Chantler in actionA young Manchester City second string battled well against their experienced Red counterparts but eventually lost out at Ewen Fields. Federico Macheda (two) and Tom Cleverley scored for United with young Blues prospect Alex Nimely on the mark for City in the Manchester Senior Cup. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sent out a team which included five full internationals leaving one or two City fans who had made the trip to mutter: ?They?ll do anything to beat us.? It?s an attitude that?s testament to how far City have come with the help of Sheikh Mansour?s millions but the United team that took the field is testament to the strength of a squad not yet ready to be usurped by their ?noisy neighbours?. The United XI wouldn?t have looked out of place in the Premier League and might not be too far from the team that begins United?s Carling Cup defence in round three. Gary Neville, Rafael, Wes Brown, Chris Smalling, Michael Carrick, Darron Gibson, Anderson and Macheda all got the opportunity to press their first- team claims, but if they thought City?s youngsters would stand idly by while they did, they were given a swift wake-up call. Cleverley hit the bar with an early header but when Alex Nimely?s left-foot snap-shot from the edge of the box fizzed past Ben Amos and into the net, City were deservedly ahead. The Blues were anything but over-awed by the famous faces, much to delight of the watching Roberto Mancini, and only a moment of quality from his countryman Macheda dragged United level seven minutes before the break. His smart turn was too good for Ben Mee, and in a flash he had rifled the ball past David Gonzalez to give Sir Alex Ferguson a timely reminder of his abilities. After half-time, Magnus Eikrem cut the ball back across the box and Macheda gave his manager another gentle nudge with a stunning strike that flew into the top corner to put United ahead for the first time Cleverley slid home the third 15 minutes from time as City began to tire and United?s experience started to tell but it might have been different if Nimely had capitalised on Brown?s weak back pass with the score at 1-1. Rafael, Carrick and Anderson were all withdrawn with sterner tests lying in wait. On this evidence, those tests may yet lie in wait for City?s youngsters as well. Solskjhaer said: ?City made it difficult for us. They were very well organised but we didn?t panic when we went a goal down and showed patience and a better tempo of passing towards the end which was good.? CITY: Gonzalez, Logan, Cunningham (Benali), Kay, Wabara, Mee, Elabdellaoui (Bunn), Ibrahim, Nimely, Chantler, Helan (Roman). UNITED: Amos, Neville, Rafael (Dudgeon), Brown , Smalling, Carrick (Gill), Gibson, Anderson (Keane), Eikrem, Cleverley, Macheda. What do you think? Have your say.

Source: Man_City