City slap in a counter claim

Mar 7 2008 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

IF the FA Youth Cup is all about giving youngsters a footballing education, Sunderland were handed a harsh lesson in their first semi-final for 26 years.

Manchester City left Wearside last night with a two-goal advantage to take into Tuesday’s second leg at Eastlands, courtesy of the kind of performance their Italian-influenced manager Sven-Göran Eriksson would have been proud of.

If City resembled their senior counterparts with a patient display capped by some cutting counter-attacking, the Black Cats were left to rue their inability to put the ball in the net.

In a game where Sunderland enjoyed most of the few chances, it was the clinical finishing of Ryan McGivern which decided it – and, in all probability, the tie. The Northern Irish left-back scored from corners in either half and capped his performance by clearing off the line.

“We created plenty of chances, when we look at those we have to think we are still in the game when we go there on Tuesday,” said Sunderland’s assistant academy manager Kevin Ball afterwards.

The hosts had much the better of the first half but produced little to show for it, save for a steady flow of corners. No sooner had they worked opposition goalkeeper Gregory Hartley, however, than they trailed.

The young Black Cats had a couple of early chances, Nathan Luscombe heading wide at a corner and Jordan Henderson blazing a long-range effort off target. But it was not until the 37th minute that Hartley got his hands warm.

The City goalkeeper got down low to Jordan Cook’s shot after the striker made space on the right of the area. Within a minute City led, McGivern’s shot deflecting in.

It was City’s first effort of note since the ninth minute when Dan Sturridge – nephew of former Derby County forward Dean and a player with two Premier League goals to his name this season – acrobatically shot at the far post but was unable to direct it on target.

Sunderland’s confidence seemed to ebb away when McGivern’s fortuitous strike hit the back of the net and the blond-haired defender had the game’s next opportunity, glancing a header wide from City’s next corner three minutes later. The hosts spent most of the interval on the pitch going through various exercises and made a change at the restart, Ryan Noble replacing Cook, who had been playing off the team’s talisman Martyn Waghorn.

And it was the forward from South Shields who lifted the home fans after the break and nearly improved the scoreline in the process.

The 18-year-old, whose clever first touch of the match had an expectant crowd in raptures, lifted them again when he got down the right in the 47th minute and crossed for Luscombe, who hammered his shot against the base of the post. Soon after Waghorn shot over when well placed.

The 2006 finalists looked a much more dangerous proposition with a goal behind them, however. Dan Staples came off his line quickly to deny David Ball, who had been cleverly threaded through by Donal McDermott.

McGivern did what his forward colleague had been unable to in the 59th minute, rising highest to head in at the far post from another corner.

Waghorn cooly rounded the keeper minutes later but Vladimir Weiss kept his effort out and McGivern blocked Ryan Noble’s follow-up. Captain Jack Colback failed to capitalise when Hartley spilled Henderson’s right-wing cross, heading over.

However, only a flying clearance by Niall McArdle on his own goal-line prevented a potentially tie-ending third goal.

SUNDERLAND UNDER-18s (4-4-2): Staples; Kay, Corniforth, McArdle, Liddle; Henderson, Hourihane, Colback (Galer 83), Luscome; Cook (R Noble HT), Waghorn. Subs (not used): Brown, Hunter, L Noble.

Booked: McArdle, Cook, Hourihane, R Noble.

MANCHESTER CITY UNDER-18s (4-4-2): Hartley; Trippier, Boyata, Mee, McGivern; Weiss, Kay, Tutte, McDermott (Tsiaklis 67); Sturridge, Ball. Subs (not used): Nimley-Tchuimeni, Johansen, Ibrahim, Mak.

Goals: McGivern 38, 59.

Referee: M Haywood.

Attendance: 4,191.