City’s reserves went into their month-long break in the league fixture programme with a fully deserved win over Hull City.
The visitors could not match the heroics of their senior counterparts from last Saturday despite boasting several players with Premier League experience. Glyn Hodges’ side, mostly Academy graduates, outplayed and at times out-muscled the Tigers to record their sixth win of the season before a month-long hiatus in competitive games.
A sterling effort from City’s ground staff ensured that the game went ahead after the first bite of winter, and there was a welcome sight in the stand with former City favourite Geovanni watching on from the sidelines.
The Blues hit their stride straight away and took just five minutes to take the lead, Robbie Mak breaking into the box from the right before placing the ball across and beyond Myhill into the far corner.
Keeper Gunnar Nielsen showed good judgement in tricky conditions to race out of his box on a couple of occasions, but Ekra and Ghilas were both wasteful when presented with half-chances. City’s scorer nearly turned provider just before the break when he rounded off a flowing move by crossing to Poole, but his first time effort from close range drew a good save out of the experienced Myhill. Ibrahim rounded off the first half by heading a long way wide from a corner at close quarters.
Alex Nimely kept his balance nicely to dance into the box with 57 minutes on the clock, but his shot did not test Myhill. Paul Marshall replaced Donal McDermott just after an hour, and he had an immediate impact, with his first touch squaring the ball across to Abdi Ibrahim, who had the simplest of tasks to knock the ball home to double the lead.
Ibrahim had two further good chances to add to his tally, and City did well to keep Hull at arms’ length until late on, when Ghilas rattled the bar. It was a good night’s work all round in cold, wet and windy conditions that tested players, coaches and supporters alike.
The reserves’ next league action will be on 5th January, at home to Wigan with a Senior Cup tie away to Bury on 15th December kicking off at 2pm.
1-0 (Mak, 5), 2-0 (Ibrahim, 63)
City team: Nielsen (GK), Trippier, Garrido (Cunningham 89), Vidal, Boyata, Tutte (Chantler 79), Mak, Ibrahim, Poole, Nimely, McDermott (Marshall 61).
Substitutes: Johansen (GK), Redshaw.
Hull: Myhill, Leonard, Hanley, Hughes, Sonko, Mouyokolo, Mendy, Cairney, Ekra, Ghilas (Satelle 66), Halmosi.
Substitutes: Oxley, Kendall, Deagle, Fox.
