The Sky Blues U23s travel to East Yorkshire to face Hull City at the MKM Stadium this Saturday, with kick off scheduled for the Professional Development League clash at 5:30pm. Here’s everything you need to know about our opponents.

Last Time Out…

The U23s’ won their fourth successive league match last week running out 3-1 victors over Crewe Alexandra.

The young Sky Blues began the game brightly with Josh Reid then Declan Drysdale going close.

The Railwaymen called City ‘keeper Cian Tyler into action, after earning a corner, but he was equal to Connor O’Riordon’s headed effort.

After a scoreless first half it took the Sky Blues only four second half minutes to break the deadlock when Julien Dacosta played in Jordan Shipley who calmly rounded the Alex ‘keeper Tom Booth.

City doubled their lead on the hour mark when Josh Reid netted the rebound after Booth had initially denied Dacosta from Jonny Ngandu’s corner.

Luke Tisdale’s side made the game safe just two minutes later when Fabio Tavares made the most of a miscommunication amongst the visitor’s back line to score a third.

There was still time for Crewe to get their name on the scoresheet however when Ty Webster met Matus Holicek’s cross but it would prove to be just a consolation as the young Sky Blues stay top of the league!

Sky Blues XI: Cian Tyler (GK), Julien Dacosta, George Burroughs, Declan Drysdale (Jay McGrath 61’), Blaine Rowe, Josh Reid (Trialist 61’), Jonny Ngandu (C), Ryan Howley, Jordan Shipley (Aaron Evans-Harriott 75’), Jodi Jones, Fabio Tavares.

Unused Subs: Charlie Callaghan (GK), Ricardo Dinanga.

The Opposition

The Tigers finished 5th^th in the 2020/21 Professional Development League Northern Division and currently find themselves 7^th after winning 2-1 at Barnsley last time out.

The first chance of the game fell to the home side, but Kareem Hassan-Smith could only find the side netting however in a half of few chances Barnsley took the lead just before half time when Tomas Kalinauskas put the ball on a plate for David Bremang to convert with a first time shot.

Just after the break however Hull levelled the match with the first real opportunity of the second half when Will Jarvis beat Jordan Helliwell and cut inside and fired into the corner.

With the Tigers looking for a second goal the Tykes almost caught the visitors out when Will Hondermarck couldn’t quite contact Hayden Pickard’s corner.

In the final minute of normal time, with the game looking like ending a draw, Hull won it when Jarvis scored his second of the game, this time from the spot after Hassan-Smith brought down Jake Leake.

Last Six Games

Won – Barnsley U23s 1-2 Hull City U23s (Professional Development League)

Lost – Hull City U23s 0-2 Sheffield United U23s (Professional Development League)

Won – Hull City U23s 4-0 Crewe Alexandra U23s (Professional Development League)

Draw – Peterborough United U23s 1-1 Hull City U23s (Professional Development League)

Lost – Watford U23s 3-1 Hull City U23s (Professional Development League

Won – Hull City U23s 1-0 Swansea City U23s (Professional Development League)

Last Time We Met

The two sides last met in was in February 2021 with the game ending 1-0 in the visitors’ favour at the Alan Higgs Centre.

In snowy conditions it was Fabio Tavares that created the fire opportunity after he collected the ball from a corner but could only find the side netting.

City ‘keeper Tom Billson was then in the thick of the action when he denied Will Jarvis one on one.

Harvey Cartwright in the Hull goal then denied Tavares and Jordan Shipley with the half ending scoreless.

Billson was involved again early in the second half when he prevented Ahmed Salam from giving the visitors the lead.

However, Jarvis gave the Tigers the lead when he was left unmarked and passed into an empty net in the 63^rd minute.

The young Sky Blues almost equalised not long after but Joe Newton’s effort came back off the bar.

Jordan Shipley then went close on two occasions from free kicks with his first whistling just wide off the post then his second hit the post as it proved to not be City’s day.

Sky Blues Xl: Tom Billson (GK), Blaine Rowe, Josh Pask, Jay McGrath, Joe Newton, Jonny Ngandu (Dan Bartlett 46’), Josh Eccles, Jordan Shipley, Will Bapaga, Fabio Tavares (David Bremang 82’), Wesley Jobello.

Unused Subs: Cian Tyler (GK), George Burroughs, Aaron Evans-Harriott.

Northern Section Table: