Under-18s overpower Sunderland to extend winning run

It proved another goal-fest in Manchester with Dexter Oliver opening the scoring in the eighth minute.

Marlow Barrett and Will Gueke followed that up as they recorded their first goals of the season to extend our lead early into the second half.

James Barker grabbed one back for the visitors just after the hour mark, but Heaven Kilwa fired home another in City’s favour as our winning run extended to five games. 

What happened

With Autumn right around the corner the weather was unsurprisingly gloomy in Manchester as Teddie Lamb got the action underway at the City Football Academy.

It would be just eight minutes before Dexter Oliver got City ahead.

After winning possession back, Javanh Woode sliced the ball into Lamb who pulled it back for our number 10 to fire home. 

The strike was Oliver’s eighth goal in just three games after he scored three against Stoke and four against Leeds United earlier in the season. 

City continued to dominate possession as Lamb, Oliver and Woode fired efforts at Jones but were unable to find a second goal. 

There were also appeals for a penalty as Lamb was taken out in the box by Harvey Thompson, but the referee waved instead for a free-kick to the Black Cats. 

City continued to threaten and three minutes into the second-half our dominance in Sunderland’s box soon paid off.

Oliver picked out Archie Thornton who headed back across goal as Marlow Barrett rose the highest to double the advantage. 

The visitors were suffered another blow in the 54th minute, as Will Gueke’s attempt from range took a deflection off Pollard before nestling in the bottom corner. 

A mistake from Freddie Lawrie at the back allowed Sunderland to find a way back into the game through Barker. 

City were passing and moving forward with ease however and it wasn’t long before Kilwa restored our three goal lead and mirror the scoreline from our 2025/26 meeting in Manchester to secure all three points.

HOW WE LINED UP

CITY XI | Vickery, Wain (C) (Nduka 79’), Thornton, Lawrie (Obin 79’), Barrett, Gueke, Whisker (Kilwa 68’), Carrington, Lamb (Motsi 46’), Oliver (Aiyegbusi 79’), Woode

SUBS | Hinson-Kinu, Otabor Osifo

SUNDERLAND XI | Jones, Nelson (Shakespeare 62’), Dolan-Dent, Thompson, Hamilton Ford, Pollo, Campbell, Burns (C), Barker, Brown, Sanchez (Matadeen 62’)

SUBS | Quinn, Gibson, Hunter, White

AS A RESULT

City continue to sit top of the Under-18 Premier League North table on 15 points, with only Newcastle as our closest challengers after securing 12 points so far.

UP NEXT

City hit the road next as we travel to Everton on Saturday 19 September, with kick-off set for 11:00 (UK).

The game will be available to watch live on CITY+, with the stream to start just before the game begins.