Patrick Vieira’s EDS side capped off a great week for the club’s Academy set-up with a thumping 5-1 win over Middlesbrough at the CFA.
Youngsters Patrick Roberts, Manu Garcia and George Evans all made their debuts this week in the Capital One Cup at Sunderland and there was more joy against another side from the North East on Friday evening.
Goals from Aleix Garcia, Bersant Celina, Lukas Nmecha (2) and David Faupala sealed a first win for the EDS in the Barclays U21 Premier League.
The Blues made a rapid start to the game and were ahead inside 56 seconds. Spanish midfielder Aleix Garcia fired home from the edge of the area and Luke Coddington in the Boro goal spilled the ball into the net for the opener.
The blistering opening from City continued. Bersant Celina delivered a sumptuous cross-field pass which was knocked down into the path of Lukas Nmecha, whose deflected effort rattled the crossbar.
City produced some scintillating attacking play despite the absences of Barker, Roberts and Garcia – three of the club’s most talented attacking players. Will Patching duly accepted creative responsibilities, instigating attacks left, right and centre.
He created one out of nothing in the 18th minute, driving through the Boro midfield before playing in the lively Nmecha, who drew a fine save from Coddington.
The Boro shotstopper was beaten moments later however. This time executed a glorious no-look reverse pass for Bersant Celina to score the second.
City’s No.10 continued to cause havoc in the middle for the visitors. He shaped himself and bends one after coming in from the left and his effort is agonisingly wide.
Nmecha had a few chances in the first half and eventually got his goal on the half hour mark. He managed to prod home after a George Glendon strike stung the palms of Coddington.
The City no.9 was at it again before the turn of the half, this time poaching home into the bottom corner after a scramble in the box.
Much like the first team on Tuesday, City were thoroughly dominant and totally controlled the first half.
The intensity wasn’t quite the same in the second half and visitors grabbed a consolation in the 75th minute when substitute Harrison Chapman beat the City backline to the ball and slotted past Gunn.
However the four-goal cushion was back in place not long after when David Faupala entered the fray, stabbing home from a wonderfully whipped Duhaney cross from the right to complete a fine week’s work for all those involved in the youth set-up at City.
Teams:
City: Gunn, Maffeo, Smith-Brown, Plummer, Humphreys (Duhaney), Glendon, A.Garcia (Bryan), Patching, Ambrose (Faupala), Celina, Nmecha.
Middlesbrough: Coddington, Bennett, McGoldrick, Elson, Kitching, Tinkler, Jones (McGinley), Maloney, Fewster (Chapman), Cooke, Wildscint.
