Luke Tisdale’s men earned a fourth successive win against Crewe Alexandra at the Alan Higgs Centre with a 3-1 victory this afternoon.
City started the game brightly with Josh Reid going close with a strike across goal that went just over the bar.
After some good link up play between Julien Dacosta and Jonny Ngandu, the latter then found Reid who whipped a cross in that was well claimed by Tom Booth in the Alex goal.
The Sky Blues then earned a cross with Ngandu finding the head of Declan Drysdale but he couldn’t keep his header down.
Crewe’s first opportunity came when Charlie Feeney whipped in a cross that saw Drysdale divert the ball towards his own net but Cian Tyler was alert to the danger.
The visitors then earned a corner that Connor O’Riordon headed goal bound but Tyler confidently caught the ball.
Julien Dacosta then crossed the ball to Ngandu who cut inside but his shot was blocked by O’Riordon as City searched for an opener.
Jodi Jones played a well worked free kick to Jordan Shipley but his ball across the box alluded everyone.
Reid then produced an excellent cross that picked out Dacosta but his powerful header was well stopped by Booth.
Just before the break Fabio Tavares had his first chance when he latched onto a back pass however Booth came out and smothered his shot.
HALF TIME: Sky Blues u23s 0-0 Crewe Alexandra u23s
City took the lead four minutes into the half when Dacosta’s through ball played in Shipley who cooly rounded Booth and passed the ball into the empty net.
The Railwaymen looked for an immediate response with Tyler doing well to deny Ty Webster.
The lively Reid then produced another pin point cross but Dacosta’s header went just wide of the far post.
The hosts then had two attempts from distance with Shipley’s effort flying over before Jones’s shot went wide.
Booth then denied Tavares with his feet but from the resulting corner the Sky Blues doubled their lead!
Dacosta’s head met Ngandu’s set piece and although Booth initially denied him he couldn’t react in time to Reid's tidy finish at the back post!
It became three when Tavares made the most of a defensive mix up when he ran onto Ngandu’s through ball and fired into an empty net!
Jones then beat his man and put in a cross to the back post towards Tavares but O’Riordon intercepted.
The visitors did get one back when Matus Holicek’s cross was put in by Ty Webster at the back post.
City looked to reestablish their three goal lead with Jones firing a shot just wide of the post before putting an effort over.
However Tisdale’s side had to settle for just the two goal cushion and with that they stay top of the Professional Development League Northern Section.
FULL TIME: Sky Blues u23s 3-1 Crewe Alexandra u23s
GOALS: Jordan Shipley (49’), Josh Reid (60’), Fabio Tavares (62’); Ty Webster (73’)
CARDS: George Burroughs (81’), Jodi Jones (83’)
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.
Crewe Alexandra XI: Tom Booth (GK), Matus Holicek, Zak Kempster, Connor O’Riordon, Sean Lawton, Ty Webster, Owen Hunt, Joel Tabiner, Charlie Feeney, Connor Salisbury, Tyreece Onyeka.
Subs: Jack Flint (GK), Sam Bhatti, Marquise Martins, Sam Crolla.