RESERVES LOSE

Blues suffer a 4-2 defeat to Manchester City.

Everton Reserves suffered a 4-2 defeat to Manchester City.

A brace from Emile Mpenza and goals from Felipe Caicedo and Nery Castillo sealed a win for City at the Regional Athletics Arena in Manchester.

James Vaughan and Steven Morrison reduced the deficit in the second half but it was mere consolation for Andy Holden’s young charges against a much more experienced City outfit fielding the likes of Geovanni and Michael Johnson.
 
Dan Gosling had the first opportunity of the evening when he fired a shot from 20 yards which Andreas Isaksson comfortably saved. .

A swift counter attack followed by City and the deadlock was broken. Caicedo collected Mpenza’s square pass and the striker fired a low shot past Stefan Wessels at his near post.
 
The goal did not deter the Blues and shortly after Victor Anichebe went close but could not calculate his angle just so.

Yet on 16 minutes the Toffees went a further goal behind. This time Caicedo turned provider for Castillo, who struck a sweet shot from the edge of the area.

A minute later the Blues were 3-0 down. Mpenza capitalised on a mix up between John Irving and Wessels to comfortably stroke the ball home into an empty net from 10 yards.

Rousing words from Holden on the touchline rallied his young charges into life on the half hour mark. Anichebe again was the main threat with his raw power testing the reflexes of Isaksson.

Jack Rodwell tried to inspire Everton but the City goalkeeper was proving to be in inspired form, thwarting the young midfielder with two excellent saves.

The woodwork denied Aidan Downes seconds after the restart. The Republic of Ireland under 21 international broke free of Javier Garrido on the wing, darted into the box before firing a shot which struck the upright. The resulting rebound fell kindly to Morrison, who flashed his shot wide.

A sucker punch came on 49 minutes when Man City grabbed a fourth through Mpenza following a neat pass from Garrido.

Vaughan gave the watching David Moyes food for thought when he showed his shooting prowess with a fine strike to reduce deficit on 68 minutes.

A flurry of substitutions were made on 75 minutes with first team hopefuls Leighton Baines, Anichebe and Vaughan making way for Ryan Harpur, Kieran Agard and Cory Sinnott.  

Thereafter the game petered out but the Blues managed to pull another goal back with a Morrison penalty in the final minute.