Man Utd Res 3 - Blues Res 1
Article by Brian Cartlidge Updated 2 October 2003
An experienced Blues reserves side went down 3-1 to Man Utd Reserves on Thursday night.
Keith Bertschins side, which included many players with first team experience, got off to the perfect start in the game at Moss Lane when Argentinian striker Luciano Figueroa gave them a 26 minute lead.
A good low cross from the left by Clinton Morrison was met at the near post by Figueroa, who calmly poked it into the net from 3 yards out.
Blues however, seemed to settle on their slender lead and United came back strongly.
Their endeavour finally paid rewards 5 minutes before the break when young midfielder Davey Jones equalised with the goal of the game. Picking the ball up 25 yards out in a central position he sailed into the box beating Carter, Tebilly and Kenna on his way and hit a sweet shot past the helpless Bagnall in the Blues goal to send the sides in at the break all level
Blues started the second half brightly but an unfortunate handball by Painter, the ball appearing to roll up his arm after he miscontrolled it, resulted in a penalty to United. Nardiaello made no mistake from the resulting spot-kick to give United a 2-1 lead.
Within minutes of the restart Blues came close to grabbing an equaliser on two occasions. Firstly Kirovski's corner was headed just over the bar by Tebily and then an absolutely brilliant volley form 25 yards out from Darren Carter struck the United crossbar.
United wrapped the game up on 75 minutes when Nardiello scored his second and the Reds third. A long angled ball over the top of the Blues defence was met on the left by the United striker who eased his way past Kenna into the box and fired home an angled left foot shot past Bagnall.
This took the stuffing out of the Blues side and apart from a snap shot from Figueroa three minutes from time they never looked like clawing their way back into the game.
One bright note from the game was that Blues defender Martin Grainger lasted 66 minutes in his comeback from a long term knee injury before being replaced by Andrew Barrowman.
Man Utd: Heaton; Lynch, Tierney, McShane, Tate; Jones, Eagles, Pugh, Timm; Nardiello, Johnson. Subs: Steele (GK), M Williams, Poole, Eckersley, Byrne.
Blues: Bagnall, Kenna, Grainger, Carter, Painter, Tebily, Morrison, Kirovski, Figueroa, John. Motteram Subs: Legzdins, Hall, Hinks, Barrowman, Shepperd.
Another 2 goals from Nardiello , it seems like he is scoring every game!
Does he deserve a chance in the first team?? maybe the leage cup?
Richardson, Timm, Eagles, Jones, E Johnson, Neumayr, Nardiello and Steele - which of these players, if brutal with selection, will make it?
and we can biuld new OT of 1 million capacity