Five Star Experiment: Imps 5-0 Manchester City Under 21s

November 12, 2024 Gary EFL Trophy, Lincoln City, Matches, Reports 0

At 6 pm this evening, the Stacey West group chat was buzzing with formation ideas.

Were we playing 1-5-4? How could we make the 11 players Michael Skubala had picked into a team worthy of facing the best under 21 side in the country? We looked to be randomly thrown together, and in Michael’s pre-match interview, despite protesting we’d put a side out to win the game, I couldn’t help but smile. All I could imagine was Michael on ‘Would I Lie To You’ smirking as he tried to convince everyone playing a 19-year-old midfielder on loan in the National League North as a centre-back against the finest Under 21 outfit in the country was ‘trying to win the game’.

As it turns out, he wasn’t bluffing at all. Cue Rob Brydon saying, ‘It was, in fact, the truth’.

On the face of it, this was a mismatch. I don’t care what people say about seniors and Under 21s, our average age was just over 22. We had the youngest player on the field in Zane Okoro, the debutant. I’ve been prepping an article on him and didn’t get it finished, and now it might look a little reactionary! Anyway, we also gave a debut to Jamie Pardington, and that wasn’t the ‘worst’ of it.

This evening, Lincoln City started with a right back, and said 19-year-old midfielder, in central defence. We had a midfielder-cum-left-wing-back at right back, and a player out since August at left back. In holding midfield, two attacking midfielders, with a robust striker playing behind the only player probably in his natural position, Bailey Cadamarteri. We had a striker on the right wing, a striker making his full debut on the left wing, and all against the side that not only top the Premier League 2 at present, but who had only conceded two goals in this competition so far this season. In eight games at Under 21 level, they’ve scored 30 times. I genuinely feared for the evening.

In a chat with my Stacey West Podcast co-host Chris, he said it would likely be 5-0, but he didn’t know which way. I suggested not bothering to note the date of the second round on the calendar. Seriously, they had Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, who played 90 minutes in the Premier League for Man City this weekend, Nico O’Reilly, who appeared in the Champions League this season, and Josh Wilson-Esbrand, who played top-flight football in France last season, as well as turning out for Coventry and Cardiff in the Championship before. This wasn’t your average Under 21 outfit, not like a Wolves or Newcastle United where you expect it to be boys against men.

However, it really was boys against men.

Man City started brightly, having a bit of possession, and then we just took control of the game. They wanted to play out from the back, so we pressed high and hard. They felt flustered, and the pace of the game perhaps surprised them more than our physicality. Of course, Freddie was bang in the middle of that, but let’s not forget he’s only a year or two older than some of the defenders he was knocking all over the place.

It was Fred who got the first goal, from a delicious cross by McKiernan. His flicked header earned him his third goal of the season, but the goal was about more that a sweet finish. It was created by pressing high, and crafted by a player I’m excited by in McKiernan. I thought JJ (among others) was outstanding all night and a contender for Man of the Match.

There were so many contenders for that award. Not once did I feel our makeshift back two were under any pressure. Of course, Darikwa is as cool as a cucumber you’ve accidentally posted to Antarctica in an insulated freezer bag, but Oisin was just as composed. Both of them took possession and won tackles when needed, and while it wasn’t a challenging night, that’s not to say it was easy. Manchester City’s Under 21s have ability in abundance, and the occasional flashes of that were snuffed out.

Jack Moylan covered every blade of grass twice, harassing young players used to time and space. Bailey Cadamarteri didn’t get a lot of the ball, but when he was asked to chase, he did. Indeed, it was his shot that their keeper saved for a corner which led to the second goal. Fittingly, it was Cadamarteri steaming in with the header, his fifth goal in 11 matches, which finished off a really good spell.

Rob Street should have had his first goal for the club before half time; a deep free kick was headed goalward by Draper, who was adjudged to be offside. Street stabbed home the rebound, but the flag went up – watching back, it was marginal. I felt for Street, briefly. He’s been on the end of some criticism, from me in particular, but he showed a real intensity throughout and picked up some good positions. I desperately wanted to be able to argue that we don’t need ‘a Joe Taylor figure’ when all our fit strikers have scored, but without a Street goal, I couldn’t say that.

At the other end, Pardington could have brought his little book of Sudoku puzzles (if he has one) or a Gameboy Advance, he had such little to do. However, one effort he saved was better than it looked, a flashed shot through a crowd of players would have been visible to him late, but he was alert to make the stop and keep the score at 1-0 (or 2-0, I can’t actually remember what stage he made the save).

Rate The Imps