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YFC clinch second spot

28/ 4/2005

MANCHESTER YFC gained the win they needed to take second place in the Bury and Radcliffe Junior League's under 14s division.

They were up against CMB who had tasted defeat only once this season.

Ben McLean had the first chance for Manchester.

Barry Foster played the ball up to Ismet Akoya who flicked on to McLean, but the CMB keeper made a quality save.

The opener came when a corner cross was helped on by Mark Stringer.

The keeper could only parry the ball to the penalty spot and Jake Hardicre hooked an acrobatic overhead kick into the net.

But CMB are not champions for nothing and they fought to get back into the match.

They went close when a long cross from the left was missed by defenders. Their outside right sneaked in to force a top-drawer save from the brave John Buckley.

Manchester went back on the offensive and Josh Parkinson fed Sam Freakes. He played in McLean whose fierce strike on goal could only be pushed away to the livewire Akoya who made it 2-0.

Freakes went close to making it three when he rounded his marker and struck a fantastic effort just wide from 30-yard.

It was not all Manchester and keeper Buckley had to shovel a shot round a post for a corner.

The resulting cross was cleared and Manchester went straight back up the other end for Akoya to lob the keeper.

It was the first time this season CMB had not scored in a game. This was down to solid defending by Danny Kendrick, skipper Justin Hayden, Mark Stringer and Josh Parkinson.