Matty Warhurst scored early to get City off to a lightening start, before we asserted our dominance on the match further through Ashton Muir’s solo goal that doubled our lead inside the first half.
Two minutes in the second 45, half-time substitute Rhys Thomas found a way past the Middlesbrough keeper and Warhurst scored two goals in three minutes to secure his hat-trick as we got a firmer grip on the game.
Christian Dunbar-McDonald added his name to the scoresheet with over 15 minutes to play.
WHAT HAPPENED
City’s U18s could not have started the season any better against Blackburn Rovers a couple of weeks ago, as we sent a statement to the division that we wanted to defend our title for a fifth consecutive season, with a 6-0 win at the CFA.
The confidence from that victory shone right through the team, and resulted in a fast start and an early breakthrough for Ben Wilkinson’s young side.
Femi Fapetu brought the ball forward from deep, he slipped it through to Matty Warhurst, who dispatched his shot exquisitely past Boro goalkeeper, Shea Connor.
The sky blue shirts of City’s Under-18s kept applying the pressure onto Middlesbrough, and we got our reward through a second goal.
With 30 minutes on the clock, Ashton Muir drifted inside from the left-hand side and his shot found the back of the net, as the winger scored in back-to-back games.
The team appeared hungry for more goals after the interval, and it was soon to be three for City.
Half-time substitute Rhys Thomas found space in the box and he put away his attempt assertively to put City firmly in the driving seat.
We did not look like slowing down and neither did City striker, Warhurst, who became a heroin in this match with a flurry of goals to grab his first hat-trick for City at under-18 level.
After assisting one of Warhurst’s goals, Christian Dunbar-McDonald added his name to the scoresheet on 73 minutes, as City comfortably came away with all three points.
HOW WE LINED UP
Ben WIlkinson chose Jack Wint to start in between the sticks, and he was protected by a back four of Matthew Henderson-Hall, Kian Noble, Stephen Mfuni and Ezra Carrington.
Femi Fapetu sat in front of the back four, with Alfie Harrison and Jaden Heskey pushing further forward in a midfield three.
Matty Warhurst led the attacking line and was supported by Farid Alfa-Ruprecht and Ashton Muir on the flanks.
Middlesbrough U18s
XI | Connor, Tawiah, Samuels, Wilson, Myers-Smith, Hamelberg, Patterson, McCabe, O’Gorman, Cartwright, Coulson
Subs | Grant, Simpson, Parker, Acheampong, Dore
Manchester City U18s
XI | Wint, Henderson-Hall, Noble, Mfuni, Carrington, Fapetu, Alfa-Ruprecht, Heskey, Warhurst, Harrison, Muir
Subs | Thomas, Whatmuff, Gray, Dunbar-McDonald, Nfonkeu
WHAT IT MEANS
A victory sees us jump to sixth in the table on six points, however we have got a game in hand over early leaders Manchester United who sit on nine points.
WHAT’S NEXT
Our young blues are back in Under-18 Premier League action next weekend when Leeds United travel to the CFA.
Kick-off is scheduled for Saturday 23 September at 12:00 (UK).
