Oliver and Whisker net hat-tricks as U18s win 13-goal thriller at Stoke

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Teddie Lamb and Whisker both bagged a brace with Oliver also grabbing his first in an action-packed opening 45 minutes.

Oliver then got his second with a composed penalty before sealing another match ball a few minutes later just a week on from netting four against Leeds United.

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A hat-trick for Stoke’s Louie Bradbury’s and two Tom Midwood strikes made it nervier than it needed to be for our young Blues before Whisker became our second to claim a hat-trick and make it a scarcely believable 8-5 at Clayton Wood.

The result means City maintain our 100% record early on, with four victories from four in the U18 Premier League North.

The game in brief

It was almost a nightmare start for City, with Freddie Lawrie attempting to turn a dangerous first-minute cross away but inadvertently directing it onto his own post.

City settled after that though and got our opener inside 10 minutes.

Timeo Whisker raced in behind the Stoke defence down the right wing before sending in a wicked cross that, after a lengthy goalmouth scramble, was turned home by the prolific Teddie Lamb.

City were clinical and doubled our lead midway through the half when Whisker followed up Dexter Oliver’s spilled free-kick to hammer in.

Oliver had his own a few minutes later, exchanging passes with Lamb before rolling into the far corner to continue his fine goalscoring form after four against Leeds only a week prior.

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The Blues were really firing now and Whisker added his second of the afternoon just after the half hour mark, controlling a Lamb cutback on the penalty spot and smashing into the top corner.

The home side had one back before the break, pouncing on a loose pass out from defence before striker Louie Bradbury found the corner.

That wasn’t the end of the first-half scoring though, with City going from back to front in double quick speed with Marlow Barrett’s chipped pass into Javahn Woode’s path before he crossed for Lamb to sweep in.

We had a penalty a few minutes after the restart when Freddie Lawrie was hauled down in the box and it was duly converted by the composed Oliver.

Of course, the No.10 wasn’t done there. A mix up at the back for Stoke left Oliver with an open goal to roll the ball into.

Stoke had an emphatic response of their own, with winger Tom Midwood dribbling from inside his own half before curling a left-footed effort into the top corner.

Midwood got his second soon after following a lapse in concentration in the Blues backline.

The action just kept coming and Stoke pulled even closer to our score with an emphatic shot and turn from earlier scorer Bradbury.

Bradbury, who joined Stoke on Friday from Manchester United, completed his hat-trick a few minutes later feeding off a header knocked down to him in the box.

Stoke’s Rocco Bardsley came within inches of getting another when his free-kick cannoned off the bar.

Instead, Whisker converted from a scramble in the box following a corner to complete his hat-trick and seal the three points in an unforgettable encounter.

Teams

CITY XI: Vickery, Wain (C), Lawrie, Barrett (Thornton 60), Houlihan, Gueke, Whisker, Carrington, Lamb (Motsi 46), Oliver (Aiyegbusi 63), Woode (Kilwa 46)

Subs: Grigg, Smith, Adesina

STOKE CITY XI: Gordon, Frost (Connell 46), Bardsley, Collins, McWilliams, Alcock, Midwood, Harrison (Lloyd 77), Bradbury, Nixon, Ajiboye (Pinder 63)

Subs: Hatton, Holgate, O’Reilly, Hudson

What it means

City maintain our 100% record at the start of the U18 Premier League North campaign.

We’ve now won all four of our games in the division so far.

What’s next

We host Sunderland next Saturday in the U18 Premier League. Kick-off is at 12:00 (UK) and that game is live on CITY+.

Several members of Lauris Coggin’s side will also be hoping to play a part in Tuesday’s UEFA Youth League opener at FC Porto. Again, that is a 12:00 (UK) start and can be watched live on CITY+.