UNDER 18: LEFC 1 - 4 Derby Singh

Having won promotion last season and being an u17 team now playing in the Derby City U18 League, Emmanuel know this season will be a big step up; and the opposition will not come any tougher than a very strong Derby Singh outfit.  Emmanuel began well with Schad influential in midfield and Arme superb at the back, but Derby Singh gradually began to dominate, and Emmanuel had to defend really well.  This they did with Riman directing the defence and Cole busy on the left.   However, Derby Singh finally took the lead following a break-way after an Emmanuel corner.  Emmanuel responded immediately as Walker finished superbly following a lovely Aning through-ball.   Aning himself nearly scored after being set up neatly by the skilful Smithson.   However it was Derby Singh who scored the next goal as Emmanuel, just for once, failed to deal with a Derby Singh corner.   If this was hard to take even harder were the first five minutes of the second half as first Aning just failed to score following a brilliant Large through-ball and then Derby Singh scored not once but twice in two minutes - first through a 30-yard lob and then from a cruel deflection.  After having come so close to levelling the score Emmanuel were suddenly three goals down.  Maksymiw and Lewis came on and worked really hard, as did the whole team led by man-of-the-match Taylor.  Indeed, the game ended with a superb Sharp volley which the Derby Singh keeper did well to save but it was not, in the end, to be Emmanuel's day.