City U18's Go Seven Points Clear

COVENTRY CITY U18’s 3-1 MK DONS  

City: Gott, Phillips, Pegg, Fletcher, Henderson (off 49, Garner on 53), Willis, Roberts (Richards 71), Maund (Rankin 66), Clarke-Harris, Daniels, Ruffels SNU Donald, Wiseman 

MK Dons: Burns, Hickford, Lobbit, Arnold, Walster, Ivey-Ward, Powell (Baradurak 79), Guyasi, Ahad Ahmed (Forrester 65), Spence, Awadh Ahmed 

HT CCFC 3-0 MK Dons FT CCFC 3-1 MK Dons

Goals Josh Ruffels (3 & 37), Ricky Fletcher (6), Awadh Ahmed (51)

Table topping Coventry City U18’s went seven points clear at the top of the FA Academy Group B table with a 3-1 home victory against the Sky Blues.

In a match brought forward twenty four hours due to City’s FA Youth Cup tie at Bristol Rovers on Monday afternoon, there was plenty to keep the City support warm on a bitterly cold morning as the Sky Blues went two goals up inside the opening seven minutes.

City won a corner in the second minute and when it came over, there was Josh Ruffels, some twenty yards out to drive a shot low into the bottom corner to put City ahead.

Four minutes later, it was two when defender Ricky Fletcher got on the end of a cracking cross from the right to head past Burns from close range.

This perfect start was followed by wave after wave of attack from the Sky Blues, with the visitors having no answer to the physical presence of Ruffels, Daniels, Henderson and Roberts in midfield.

Jonson Clarke-Harris hit the post with a left footed shot in the seventh minute before sending another shot wide from the edge of the area moments later.

Two corners, the second of which was toe-poked just wide by Henderson all followed by the visitors had their first chance in the eighteenth minute when Spence gave Alex Gott a bit of catching practice.

Will Roberts headed over before Jonson Clarke-Harris saw his twenty yard drive brilliantly pushed away for the first of two corners by Burns, who could do nothing to stop the Sky Blues from going three goals up.

The goal came in the 37^th minute and saw Josh Ruffels have his initial shot blocked by a defender before he composed himself and sent a right-footed shot from sixteen yards into the net.

Rufffels just missed out on completing his hat-trick two minutes before the end of a very good half for the Sky Blues with a shot which went inches wide of the far post.

City did not really need half-time as it gave Mike Dove’s side a chance to regroup and within six minutes of the second half, the side bottom of the division had pulled a goal back.

Joe Henderson, who is suspended for City’s Cup tie on Monday, was off the field receiving treatment after picking up a knock when Leon Lobbitt, who was MK Dons best player, went on a mazy run before being stopped and having to cut the ball for Guyasi who teed up Awadh Ahmed to score from the edge of the area.

With Lewis Garner on and later, Rankin and Richards, City struggled to find the form they had displayed in the opening forty-five minutes.

In the 77^th minute, Jonson Harris-Clarke rounded Burns but fired into the side netting and six minutes later, a great move saw Burns saving a Courtney Richards header as City failed to add any more goals to their haul and had to settle for a 3-1 victory.