Knockout blow for youth team

9:49pm Wednesday 19th November 2008

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Shrewsbury youth 2 City youth 0

City failed in their bid to earn a third-round tie at Ipswich as they went down to two second-half goals at the ProStar Stadium.

Youth team manager Chris Casper made one change from the side that battled to victory over Scunthorpe in the previous round, replacing right winger Curtis Collentine with Kelvin Bleau.

Bantams keeper Chris Elliott had already been forced into an early save by Shrews striker Andre Gray before City skipper Louis Horne was forced to acrobatically clear off his own line from a Shrewsbury corner.

Striker Nathan Clarke teased his way through the Shrews defence towards the edge of the six-yard box, only to lose his footing and skew his shot wide.

Shrews midfielder Will Richards should have given his side the lead at the start of the second half. An inviting cross saw Richards completely free in the box as the City defence pushed out for an offside but somehow he managed to drag his shot wide.

Gareth Partridge showed him how it should be done when he blasted home a first-time volley moments later.

Five minutes later Shrewsbury effectively ended the tie when Richards made up for his earlier miss by beating Elliott from close range.

City: Elliott, Cutler, Villermann, Dean, O’Hara, Horne, Bleau (Fogarty), Carson, Newton, Clarke (Stephenson), Harrison. Subs not used: Hutton, Heskith, Collentine.