MANCHESTER CITY EDS 0, BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION U23 1
Manchester City’s EDS team went down to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Brighton’s U23 team thanks to an early goal by Danny Cashman.
They were comfortably beaten by the Seagulls after going down to an early counter attack and were unable to break down the highly organised visitors.
City threw everything at Brighton in the last 10 minutes but were unable to break the deadlock with their goalkeeper Tom McGill making a string of saves to deny the Blues an equaliser.
Philippe Sandler was a notable absentee from the side that faced Brighton in the Premier League 2 competition on the eve of the men’s team’s game in the FA Cup at Newport on Saturday.
Eric Garcia, however, was named in the starting line-up for the game.
On a mild night at the City Football Academy the youthful EDS team was otherwise at virtually full strength against a physically imposing Brighton side, second in the league, who were playing in a counter-attacking 5-4-1 formation with Bojan Radulovic as the lone striker.
For midtable City, Colin Rosler was deployed at centre half alongside Eric Garcia in a more positive 4-3-3 with Jeremie Frimpong and Benjamin Garre used very wide on the flank to try and stretch the Seagulls’ defence.
Space was at a premium with City trying to carve open the regimented visitors but they were caught on the break by the Seagulls after they overcommitted and were caught on the break by Brighton who took the lead after the visitors ploughed through City’s right flank and Danny Cashman’s shot beat Tom Scott after just 13 minutes.
Although City had held on to possession of the ball the Seagulls were very effective at pressing them as they tried to get into the final third and forcing errors out of them.
Ian Carlo Poveda-Ocampo wasted a great opportunity to level the scores 4 minutes later but his attempted curler went wide of the mark with the goal at his mercy.
Frimpong shot into the side netting after 33 minutes as City found genuine chances hard to come by against the well drilled Brighton side who had Cashman waiting for the out ball to hurt City on the break.
Adrian Bernabe, just 17, was put through by Poveda-Ocampo for a great left foot shot that was saved by Tom McGill in the Brighton goal as City finally tested the Brighton keeper after 41 minutes.
Adrian Bernabe denied an equaliser by Tom McGill
Brighton made a change at the break, with Jason Molumby replaced by Ato Tanimowo.
City couldn’t get much traction in the second half, with attempted crosses by Bernabe and Frimpong wasted.
Tommy Doyle was brought on after 59 minutes for Taylor Richards, who had found it difficult to prise open the Brighton defence.
Benjamin Garre had also cut a frustrated figure all night and he tried his luck from range after finding it hard to break through – his hopeful effort went well over the bar though.
Doyle also tried his luck from distance and saw his 25 yard effort at least make McGill save the ball in the 67th minute.
City made another two changes, with Henri Ogunby and Taylor Harwood-Bellis replacing Alpha Diounko and Eric Garcia as they chased the equaliser.
City had a golden opportunity to level it close to the end when Colin Rosler’s right wing cross was headed goalwards from 8 yards by Bernabe but McGill tipped it over with 10 minutes to go.
Doyle, making a great impact as a sub, broke through the Brighton defensive block but McGill dived onto the loose ball to prevent the shot.
Bernabe forced a diving save from McGill with 4 minutes to go with his low drive.
And finally, Rosler miscontrolled in front of the box as several Brighton players cramped up at the end with City throwing everything at them but they couldn’t find an equaliser.
GOAL – Manchester City EDS 0, Brighton U23 1
Man City EDS 0, Brighton U23 1: 13. The first attack by Brighton saw Danny Cashman bury the ball past Tom Scott after City left too many players up and the Seagulls drove down the left flank with Alex Cochrane crossing for Cashman to score into the bottom corner after Iker Pozo got drawn out of position towards the ball.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City EDS 0, Brighton U23 1
Man City EDS: Scott, Diounko (Ogunby 75), Rosler (C), Garcia (Harwood-Bellis 76), Wilson, Frimpong, Richards (Doyle 59), Pozo, Bernabe, Garre, Poveda-Ocampo
Man City EDS Subs not used: Moulden, T Dele-Bashiru
Booked: Rosler 70 (shirt pull to haul down Bojan Radulovic)
Brighton and Hove Albion U23: McGill, Davies, Cochrane (C), Tomlinson, O’Hora, Moore, Spong, Molumby (Tanimowo 46), Radulovic, Cashman, Ahannach (Longman 75)
Brighton and Hove Albion U23 Subs not used: Gwargis, Collings, Leonard
Goal: Cashman 13