AN EARLY header from Cody McDonald and a penalty from Paul McVeigh saw City Reserves come out on top against a young West Ham United side at Carrow Road.
McDonald took just 42 seconds to head home a Rhoys Wiggins cross and McVeigh doubled the lead just after the hour mark from the penalty spot after McDonald had been fouled. Jack Werndly pulled one back with nine minutes to go for the visitors but City triumphed in the reserve friendly to break up the seven-week league break.
Coach Ian Crook named a strong City side for the visit of Premier League side West Ham United for a reserve friendly at Carrow Road.
With the Academy side in FA Youth Cup action against Torquay United at Plainmoor on Wednesday night, Crook's options were restricted to first team players returning from injury and those looking to impress Paul Lambert and push for a starting shirt. There was plenty of experience in the City side with Michael Nelson, Stephen Hughes, Paul McVeigh and Jamie Cureton all starting.
In contrast West Ham named a young side containing reserve and academy players including Italian first team boss Gianfranco Zola's son Andrea Zola at left-back.
After just 42 seconds McDonald headed City in front. Wiggins swung in a cross from the left and McDonald peeled off to head back over Hungarian Under-21 international goalkeeper Peter Kurucz into the opposite corner.
Both sides created chances thereafter with former Tottenham Hotspur forward Terry Dixon looking lively in attack for the visitors. He went close in the 5th minute, shooting narrowly wide from the edge of the area before Michael Nelson made a vital tackle to stop the Irish youth international in his tracks.
Michael Nelson then headed wide at the far post from a McVeigh cross from the right and Icelandic Under-21 international Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson made a crucial intervention to prevent McDonald from a Jamie Cureton pass. The front pairing linking up again minutes midway through the first half when City worked the ball forward from right-back but McDonald uncharacteristically way off target with his finish. Likewise Cureton should have done better with a volley as despite West Ham enjoying better possession, it was City who were creating the better chances.
On the half hour mark Kurucz was quickly off his line to deny McDonald with a smart save and Cureton curled an effort wide after a flowing City move. The Hungarian then held on to long-range efforts from Damon Lathrope and Cureton from a free-kick.
Daniel Kearns showed great feet to skip past three challenges but Dixon was unable to make contact to his low cross just before half-time. Danny Kelly met a McVeigh corner from the right with a downhead header, but Kurucz was able to save easily with the pace having come off his effort. The sides went in separated by Cody McDonald's header after only 42 seconds.
Half-Time: City Reserves 1, West Ham United Reserves 0
The second half started out a cagey affair with defences on top as neither sides created any chances of note until the 62nd minute, when Cureton latched on to a quickly taken free-kick but didn't get the required elevation to lift his shot of Kurucz in the Hammers' goal, who was replaced by Marek Stech shortly afterwards.
The front two of City combined beautifully again just after the hour-mark, with Cureton slipping McDonald in behind the defence. As the former Dartford striker looked to turn and shoot Eyjolfsson pulled him to the ground and referee George pointed to the penalty spot. Stech's first job of the evening was to face McVeigh from 12 yards and the Northern Irishman hammered his penalty straight down the middle to put City two to the good.
McVeigh entered the referee's notebook for an accumulation of fouls on 70 minutes and was withdrawn six minutes later for Matt Ball.
Dario Dumic and Lathrope both brought good saves out of sub 'keeper Stech from range and Anthony Edgar blazed over for Alex Dyer's side after working himself into a decent position.
With nine minutes remaining sub Jack Werndly beat Michael Theoklitos to an Edgar cross from the right to head West Ham within one and set up a tense ending. Alex Stephens replaced Rhoys Wiggins at left-back for the final four minutes.
McDonald and Cureton both came close to making the game safe for City in the closing minutes. First great work from sub Matt Ball set-up McDonald who cut inside his marker and forced Stech into a fantastic save - and from the resulting corner Cureton stabbed an effort narrowly wide.
City weathered the late storm and a flying punch from Theoklitos set up a counter for Stephen Hughes but he was denied by the legs of Stech in the final piece of action of the game.
Full-Time: City Reserves 2, West Ham United Reserves 1
CITY: Theoklitos, Dumic, Wiggins (A.Stephens 86), D.Kelly, Nelson, Lathrope, Adeyemi, Hughes, McDonald, Cureton, McVeigh (Ball 76).
WHU: Peter Kurucz (Marek Stech 63), Tony Brookes, Andrea Zola (Miles Smith 76), Nicholas Barrett, Holmar Eyjolfsson, Jack Lampe, Daniel Kearns (Daniel Purdy 90), Georg Grasser, Terry Dixon (Jack Werndly 68), Callum McNaughton, Anthony Edgar. Sub not used: Daniel Subuola.
Referee: M.George
Attendance: 1,890
Pictures courtesy of Aaron Murrell
