Latics beaten as City clinch place in Final
Latics were beaten by the better side as Manchester City's EDS side took the honours in the Manchester Senior Cup tie at Boundary Park. However there was no shame in losing to a City side that were completing their seventh win on the run to clinch their place in the Final. Latics naming a reserve side that included several of Latics youth squad, with John Pritchard and Jordan Bove in the starting eleven, Kyle Hardman, Daniel Byrnes and Jordache Walters on the bench.
The visitors started well with Glenn Belezika blocking a goal bound effort from George Glendon, Sinan Bytyqi blazing the loose ball wide. Devante Cole then missed a chance to open the scoring, Paul Rachubka with a double save to dent the son of former England striker, Andy.
Latics created an opening of their own as David Worrall and Kirk Millar combined down the right, Worrall's cross held well by City keeper Ian Lawlor under pressure from Bove.
City were looking the more likely to open the scoring, neat passing and movement saw the impressive Seko Fofana curl an effort just wide on 16 minutes.
GOAL 0-1: Jordi Hiwula opened the scoring after good play on the right by Bytyqi, who played a slide-rule pass to the striker. Hiwula allowing the ball across his body before firing an unstoppable shot into the corner on 27 minutes.
GOAL 0-2: Three minutes later and the lead was doubled. Again it was Hiwula, although Cole may try to claim he had the final touch. Again it was neat play down the City right, this time from Glendon, who cut the ball across for the EDS top scorer to scramble the ball under Rachubka. Cole making sure the ball was over the line.
Worrall did have the ball in the City net just before the break. His finish, after good work from Carl Winchester and Rodgers, ruled to be offside.
HT: 0-2
Both sides made substitutions for the start of the second half, Byrnes replacing Worrall for Latics, Jason Denayer replacing Shay Facey for City.
Anton Rodgers almost halved the deficit three minutes after the break, his delightful free kick beating Lawlor but unfortunately not the post. Latics best spell of the game coming in the opening 15 minutes of the half as they matched City's passing and movement, with neither side testing their opposite keeper.
GOAL 0-3: Fofana capped his all-round performance with the goal of the night as he picked up a square pass in midfield to stride forward before unleashing a 25 yard strike that flew past Rachubka, skimming the post before nestling in the corner on 62 minutes.
Both sides made changes with Walters replacing his Latics youth team colleague Bove, Jack Byrne replacing Emyr Huws for the visitors.
GOAL 0-4: The final goal of the night saw Hiwula complete his hat trick, picking up a loose back pass there was no doubt in anyone's mind in Boundary Park that he would score, and so it was as he calmly slotted home to score his third of the evening with only his third shot of the night.
There was time for Hiwula to claim a fourth late on, his snap shot striking the post to deny him a 100% strike rate, before Walters forced Lawlor into his first real save of the match, after neat play from Rodgers had found him in space on the edge of the City box.
FT: 0-4
Latics: Rachubka, Belezika, Brown, Pritchard, Winchester, Lockwood, Worrall (Byrnes), Gosset, Bove (Walters), Millar, Rodgers.
Unused Subs: Simpson, Clarke, Hardman.