MANCHESTER CITY EDS 0, BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION U23 1
Ex-Manchester City midfielder Taylor Richards scored midway through the second half after Brighton U23 had survived a first half onslaught by City’s EDS team who should have been well clear by the break.
Instead, City went down to the same scoreline as in February’s encounter as the Seagulls somehow managed to keep the home side at bay before hitting them with the sucker punch.
Jayden Braaf caught the eye with several good moments of skill down City’s left flank, combining well with Adrian Bernarbe, but his fearlessness also led him to lose the ball a couple of times as City wasted several chances to score throughout a generally one sided game.
But Brighton were more clinical when the opportunity presented itself.
City started with two shots on Jason Steele’s goal, Jayden Braaf and Tommy Doyle had chances saved by the Brighton goalkeeper as they tried to exploit the Seagulls’ left flank.
Braaf rolled another shot across the area after he had wrong-footed Archie Davies on the inside left channel following an incisive through ball by Adrian Bernarbe.
City were upping the pressure and Doyle was in space after Alpha Dionkou squared to him from the right but he shot tamely at Steele after 15 minutes.
Doyle’s cutback from the right touchline was cleared as far as Braaf whose volley was saved by Steele and even Dionkou had a punt as Brighton struggled having lost Ryan Longman to injury after just 19 minutes.
City were in their pomp and Doyle found Nabil Touazi on the right and his skill took him inside two players but his shot narrowly went wide of the back post, while Braaf saw a shot blocked by Tsoungui after breaking into the box from the left flank while Bernarbe shot wide of the near post after a layoff by Touaizi.
Brighton seize their chance when it comes after City dominance – Taylor Richards returns to punish Man City EDS
Brighton had few chances thanks to City’s efficient offside trap, and Rowan McDonald cut out a final ball from Bojan Radulovic to ex-City youngster Taylor Richards on the one occasion it failed in the first half and Richards also sent a free kick wide of the mark.
Doyle’s right wing cross was tipped over his own bar by Steele after the break, but Brighton broke from City’s resulting corner with Richards clear and racing into City’s penalty area before he fell under close attention from Ian Carlo Poveda-Ocampo.
The referee waved away the appeal from the former City midfielder for a spot kick and Poveda-Ocampo had a shot blocked by Steele as City went back up the other end to underline City’s dominance.
Nathaniel Ogbeta sent a left footed drive over the Brighton bar while Iker Pozo’s curler and Braaf’s low drive was saved by Steele as City picked Brighton apart in the second half.
Brighton were coming into the game in the final quarter though and duly delivered the sucker punch when Richards bundled the ball in from a cross by Danny Cashman.
Tudor Baluta’s chance had been saved by Daniel Grimshaw after 67 minutes but City failed to clear the loose ball and Brighton made them pay.
Nabil Touaizi was immediately withdrawn for Cole Palmer but City still couldn’t find the answers to the Brighton conundrum.
Brighton went closest towards the end as substitute Romaric Yapi sent a drive wide of the back post and also headed into the side netting.
Palmer’s late deflected effort and Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ injury time header were City’s best efforts as they ran out of gas and ideas.
GOAL – Manchester City EDS 0, Brighton and Hove Albion U23 1
Man City EDS 0, Brighton 1: 67. Taylor Richards bundled the ball in following a cross by Danny Cashman after Tudor Baluta’s chance was saved by Daniel Grimshaw but City failed to clear the loose ball.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City EDS 0, Brighton and Hove Albion U23 1
Man City EDS: Grimshaw, Dionkou, McDonald, Harwood-Bellis, Ogbeta, Pozo, Poveda-Ocampo, Doyle (C), Touazi (Palmer 68), Bernabe, Braaf
Man City EDS Subs not used: Bazunu, Wilson, Ogunby, Garre
Booking: Pozo 65 (foul on Peter Gwargis)
Brighton and Hove Albion U23: Steele, Davies, Cochrane (C), Baluta, Tsoungui, O’Hara, Cashman, Jenks (Yapi 58), Radulovic, Richards (Spong 71), Longman (Gwargis 23)
Brighton and Hove Albion U23 Subs not used: Keto, Roberts
Booked: Gwargis 90+2
Goal: Richards 67
Referee: Thomas Parsons