City's EDS share the PL2 spoils with Stoke | OneFootball

City’s Elite Development Squad maintained top spot in PL2 but had to settle for a share of the spoils at the Joie Stadium on Friday night after an eventful 2-2 draw with Stoke City.

The point came at the end of a marathon and draining week of action that began with Monday’s 2-1 PL2 win over Brighton and then saw several of the squad also feature in Thursday’s 5-1 FA Youth Cup win over Millwall.

City twice took the lead against a struggling Stoke side who came into the game having won just a solitary point all season.

Farid Alfa-Ruprecht had given the Under-21s an early lead before a Christy Grogan own goal restored our advantage on the brink of half time after the Potters had levelled through Jack Griffiths.

However, City’s push for what would have been an 11th straight win was denied thanks to a spectacular second half free-kick from Josh Bickerton.

And Ben Wilkinson’s side  were then also reduced to 10 men in injury time after Charlie Gray picked up a second yellow card.

What happened

City came into the game – our second in five days at the Joie Stadium - on back of a superb 10 match run of consecutive wins in PL2 that saw us sit top of the table.

Stoke, in sharp contrast, had endured a tough run, having picked up just the one point to sit bottom.

And not surprisingly it was Wilkinson’s side who were straight onto the front foot, taking the game to Stoke right from the off.

The Potters youngsters were content to pack bodies behind the ball in an effort to deny City time and space with the bulk of the play was centred in the Stoke half.

Wide men Emilio Lawrence and Farid Alfa-Ruprecht were dangerous outlets for the City youngsters.

Indeed, it was Alfa-Ruprecht with City’s first meaningful effort on 17 minutes, the right winger meeting a teasing Lawrence cross on the right edge of the area but only succeeding in firing into the side netting.

And it was Alfa-Ruprecht who broke the deadlock on 24 minutes with a quite sublime goal.

The winger created the opening, driving at the Stoke defence before cutting in from the right.

He found skipper Will Dickson in the centre of the box who threaded a superb first time ball back into his path and after taking a neat first touch, Alfa-Ruprecht finished with aplomb for his seventh PL2 goal of the season.

City looked set fair to build on that advantage – but instead it was the visitors who struck next to draw level on 27 minutes.

In a mirror image of City’s goal, winger Jack Griffiths cut in from the right wing, exchanged a neat one-two with Wiktor Gromek, before then beating Blues keeper Spike Brits at the near post.

City sought to summon up a rapid response to that setback with Lawrence fizzing a 43rd minute effort just wide of the target.

And right-on half-time City regained the lead in the most bizarre circumstances.

Seb Naylor whipped in a harmless looking free-kick but Stoke keeper Alfie Brooks came off his line and only succeeded in punching the ball back towards the Potters goal line.

Even then there looked to be little danger but a mix-up between Jake Griffin and Christy Grogan saw the ball cannon back into the unguarded net and send City in ahead at the break, the final touch coming off Grogan.

Wilkinson’s youngsters came out seeking to carry on where they had left off with Justin Oboavwoduo coming within an ace of adding a third after slaloming his way into the Potters box.

Oboavwoduo then followed that up with an even better opportunity five minutes later, his close-range shot from Alfa-Ruprecht's cross blocked by Grogan before Stoke keeper Brooks did well to tip away a goalbound Lawrence shot.

Once again however, out of nowhere, Stoke conjured up a moment of magic to draw level again on 66 minutes thanks to a stunning free-kick from Josh Bickerton.

Having been awarded a set piece almost 25 yards out, the full back stepped up and executed a quite superb left footed effort that curled into the top right corner of the net and gave Brits no chance whatsoever.

Five minutes later, the City keeper then had to be alert to make a wonderful save to deny a Jeffers shot after the Stoke man had evaded the offside trap.

Almost immediately Lawrence powered upfield for City and forced another impressive block from Brooks as City looked to restore the advantage.

City kept pushing but found Stoke resolute and robust as the clock wound down and to add to the sense of frustration,  Charlie Gray was sent off deep into stoppage time for a second yellow card.

Remarkably it was our third dismissal in two games following a similar fate befalling Jaden Heskey and Jacob Wright against Brighton on Monday.

How we lined up

Spike Brits was in goal and shielded by a back four of Lakyle Samuel, Harrison Parker, Kian Noble and Seb Naylor.

Charlie Gray was the holding midfielder with Michael Okeke and Justin Oboavwoduo also in the engine room.Skipper Will Dickson was the central attacking focal point with Farid Alfa-Ruprecht and Emilio Lawrence.

Teams

CITY XI | Brits, Samuel, Parker Braithwaite 45), Noble (Thomas 45), Naylor, Gray, Alfa-Ruprecht, Okeke (Dunbar-McDonald 79), Dickson, Oboavwoduo, Lawrence.

SUBS | Whatmuff, Willhoft-King

STOKE | Brooks, Agina, Bickerton (Otegbayo 93), Griffin, Grogan, Lawal (Matondo 45), Jeffers, Gromek, Chibueze, Lipsiuc (Kelly 40), Griffiths (Watts 61)

SUBS | Matondo, Cooper

What it means

Despite being denied an 11th straight  league win, City remain flying high at the top of the PL2 standings.

Ben Wilkinson’s youngsters have amassed 31 points from our 12 games to date to lie four points clear of second placed Fulham.

What’s next

Our Under-21s are next in action on Friday, January 24 away at Wolves.

Kick-off in the Midlands is slated for 19.00pm (UK) and CITY+ subscribers will be able to watch every kick of the game live.