City Under-18s bow out of Premier League Cup following Burnley defeat

First half strikes from Warren Taylor were enough to see the Clarets out of the woods after penalty shouts for both sides were waved away.

City weren’t short of chances, however, as Teddie Lamb, Xavier Parker and Dexter Oliver all had opportunities to swing proceedings in our favour.

Lamb was unable to convert from the penalty spot with eight minutes to play and with neither side able to force another chance we were knockout out the competition at the Group Stage despite a battling effort.

WHAT HAPPENED 

It was another chilly November afternoon in Burnley as the young Blues returned to Under-18 Premier League Cup action, with a win in Group D seeing us advance to the knockout stage of the competition.

The opening half an hour saw a tightly contested affair between the two sides with the Clarets looking for revenge after we submitted them to a League defeat just seven days ago.

Efforts from Lamb, Darren Motsi and Timeo Whisker weren’t enough to ripple the net with penalty shouts for both sides also waved away in an eventful first half an hour.

It would soon be Burnley who found the breakthrough, with City in need of an immediate response to stun to confident hosts.

The warning signs were flashing for Lauris Coggin’s side as Taylor found a second, but it was not an unusual sight for the young side after coming back from 2-0 down to beat Brentford 5-2 in the opening Cup game. 

Lamb and Oliver returned to the starting XI after scoring in our UEFA Youth League clash against RB Leipzig in mid-week and our prolific number nine had a golden opportunity to claw one back but his effort would fall just wide.

Burnley had hardly threatened our back-line as we approached the hour mark with Xavier Parker going the closest as his effort bounded off the bar.

Lamb was later awarded a penalty with eight minutes to play, but failed to convert from the spot and that would be the final clear cut chance of the afternoon as we bowed out of the competition.

HOW WE LINED UP

BURNLEY XI | Feeney, Da Costa, Murwira, Oshodi, Best, Illunga, Huggett, Morison (C), Taylor, Lewis, Borgesson

SUBS | Lo-Tutala, Fletchmen, Oyebanjo, Mmakogu, Masara, Loofe, Etuwe

CITY XI | Vickery, Carrington (C) (Aiyegbusi 84’), Thornton, Lawrie, Barrett, Gueke, Whisker, Parker, Lamb, Oliver, Motsi (Cadamarteri 73’)

SUBS | Turley, Mathiesen, Shire, Smith, Aina

AS A RESULT 

We exit the competition with only the top team from each group advancing to the knockout stage.

UP NEXT

Following the latest international break we return to Under-18 Premier League North action as we travel to face Blackburn on Saturday 21 November with kick-off set for 11:00 (UK).