A Youthful City bow out of Worcestershire Senior Cup

Redditch United bagged two second half goals to knock a young City side out of the Worcestershire Senior Cup.

Omari Sterling-James opened the scoring for the Reds via the woodwork midway through the second half, before a stunner from Ashley Sammons consolidated the Southern Premier League side’s place in the final.

City introduced eleven new faces to the side that lost in Saturday’s Skrill North fixture against North Ferriby, with James Lemon and Max Crisp coming into to the starting line-up after being on the bench in Humberside.

After a dull opening fifteen minutes, Omar Recci hauled down Ethan Moore on the edge of the area only for Aaron Williams to fire the resulting free kick into the wall, before James Lemon misfired from Jacob Hobbis’s low cross moments later.

City began to grab hold of the game after the twenty minute mark, and threatened after neat interplay between Hobbis and Williams eventually saw the ball drop to the feet of Ethan Moore, who drilled his shot straight at Bradley Catlow in the United goal.

But Redditch continued to hold their own and after Max Crisp was deemed to have fouled Harvey Hylton on the edge of the area, former City midfielder Ashley Sammons curled a free kick into the side netting at the half hour mark.

But City continued to press and Ethan Moore teed youngster James Lemon, who scored first team debut in the FA Cup win over Coventry Sphinx earlier in the season, only for the ball to sit up awkwardly causing him to strike over the bar.

The lively Redditch front-man Jermaine Hylton cut inside at pace and fired a shot that bobbled in front of City stopper, Callum Preston.

And Redditch dominated the closing stages of the first half as Preston was called into action for the first time, tipping over a looping Jamie Molyneux header following Omari Sterling-James’s cross, before neat work from out on the right from Molyneux saw the ball to drop to Ashley Sammons in the area, whose shot was blocked from six yards out.

After the restart, it was Redditch who started brightly again as the influential Sammons sent a curling, first time shot whistling just over the crossbar, before weaving inside five minutes later and firing a low shot that Preston spilled before gathering at the second attempt.

City nearly made the hosts pay for their missed chances just minutes later as the tenacious Ethan Moore crossed low to Hobbis, only for the wide-man to send the bobbling ball over the bar.

Preston’s blushes were saved moments later as he advanced to claim Ashley Sammon’s long ball, spilling it to the feet of Molynuex, who lacked composure and scuffed wide of the near post with the goalkeeper stranded.

And with fifty-three minutes on the clock, Redditch snatched the lead as a quick free kick saw Ashley Sammons drive inside, teeing Omari Sterling-James whose neat shot from the edge of the area clipped the inside of the post before nestling into the back of the net.

The home-side came close to doubling their lead as the pacey Jermaine Hylton drove down the right, squaring the ball to Molyneux who fired over the bar.

But Redditch, who dominated much of the second half, doubled their lead in the seventieth minute as Ashley Sammons found space on the edge of the area before dispatching a curling shot that looped into the top corner.

City had penalty appeals for a challenge on Ethan Moore turned down by the referee, before Danny Edwards teed Joao Sousa, who dragged his shot wide from the edge of the area with less than ten minutes remaining, and Redditch held on to secure their place in the final against Evesham United.

Youth team manager, Mark Owen, who took charge of the team, said that he was pleased with his young side’s performance, and believes the club has a bright future.

“I thought we did well. In the first forty minutes, I thought it was really equal. I’m over the moon with them (the academy players). I think we had seven or eight in the squad tonight which is fantastic for the academy. It’s not as if they’ve just stepped up to the Midland Combination Prem, they’ve gone to Southern League. And, to be honest with you, with a few more older heads, I think we’d have coped even better".

He added, “The average age of that side is probably nineteen or twenty that we put out tonight, so it bodes well if these lads get an opportunity in the coming weeks towards the end of the season.”

City will return to league action on Sunday, with the visit of Vauxhall Motors to Aggborough (3pm kick off).

Report by Alex Harris