Scott Sellars was delighted as the Academy trip to Berlin got off to a great start with an 8-0 romp against local side Empor.

City’s coach was not so much counting off the welter of goals during a one-sided second half as beaming at the way his young side gelled in their opening match.

Sellars said: “They’re a new team coming together, and we had a few Under-16s in there as well. There was a lot to look at for the first game, not just the goals and result.

“It was good to see a lot of the stuff we’d worked on during the week coming out in the match, and as they tired we really started to put the final nail in the coffin.”

City’s youngsters had rubbed shoulders all week with the elite German athletes bound for Barcelona and the world championships, working hard in the 30-degree-plus heat.

They showed themselves to be a class act as Empor were swept aside at their Kienbaum  training centre in the first of three matches the Academy will play in Berlin.

New signing Alex Henshall from Swindon and George Evans were among those who stood out in a fine warm-up for Tuesday’s much tougher test against top Berlin club Hertha.

Henshall was crudely floored by the goalkeeper to earn the penalty that allowed Brad Robinson to break the ice from the spot after 25 minutes, Evans having already hit the bar.

City dominated possession as they piled on the agony for their German opponents in a second half that left Sellars satisfied that their hard work had paid dividends.