City reach PL2 quarter-finals after dramatic extra-time win over Liverpool | OneFootball

An extra time strike from Divin Mubama saw City's Elite Development Squad defeat Liverpool 2-1 and so secure our place in the Premier League 2 play-off quarter-finals.

Just before the 20-minute mark Mubama had bagged his 12th of the season to put City ahead with a close-range header.

But in what proved to be a tight affair, Liverpool forward Tommy Pilling drew the visitors level on 68 minutes.

90 minutes was not enough to separate the two teams, and the game went to extra-time.

Despite tired legs, City continued to shine in the added 30 minutes. And Mubama was in the right place at the right time to tap home on 107 minutes from another loose ball after Ryan McAidoo saw his initial effort saved.

Mubama's brace means City will face Arsenal at the Joie Stadium in the quarter-finals of the PL2 play-offs.

WHAT HAPPENED

A mild, sunny Friday evening was the idyllic setting as our Premier League 2 play-off journey began.

After a strong chance for both teams in the opening exchanges, it was Ben Wilkinson’s youngsters who were able to find the first goal.

A brilliant attack, which saw City round-off a clinical move with the ball in the back of the net on 19 minutes, began with Seb Naylor’s switch ball to Lakyle Samuel.

The latter played Reigan Heskey down the right and the winger opted to cut inside, playing the ball back to the other side of the pitch to Ashton Muir.

The 19-year-old bamboozled the Liverpool defence, looking set to strike with his right as he entered the opposition’s box.

But a ball roll onto his left gave him space to shoot. Though Harvey Davies denied the initial effort, Mubama was there to nod home the loose ball.

As the half-time whistle approached, momentum shifted as Liverpool pushed for an equaliser on the 40-minute mark.

After a quick attack on the right, Lakyle Samuel made a fantastic goal-line block to deny Tommy Pilling.

Trey Nyoni smashed the rebound towards the City goal from the edge of the box, and 'keeper Spike Brits produced a fantastic one-handed save to maintain our advantage at the break.

Mubama then hit the post on 61 minutes after a powerful run in behind by Reigan Heskey saw him pull play back to City’s number nine.

Reigan Heskey then saw a close range effort, which would have provided City some breathing space, fly just over the bar seconds later.

In a pulsating encounter, Liverpool then took control of possession and pinned City back in our own third.

A dangerous cross towards the back post was controlled by Tommy Pilling with his chest. The visitors' striker managed to squeeze his shot into the bottom left corner to draw Liverpool level.

In what was shaping up to be our most difficult test this season, 90 minutes couldn’t separate the two sides sending a tense contest into extra time.

That saw City take back control of the narrative with Liverpool pinning all 11 players back in their own half.

Trickery from substitute Ryan McAidoo gave him space to float a cross to the back post and Mubama’s glancing header went agonisingly wide on 103 minutes.

In the final play of the first 15 period of extra time, Liverpool countered a City corner and managed to find substitute Keyrol Figeuroa on the left with space to run.

However, Brits did a fantastic job to burst towards the edge of his box and make himself big to force the Liverpool winger to curl his shot wide.

Less than two minutes into the second period of extra time the vital second goal finally arrived.

McAidoo picked up possession on the right and cut inside onto his left. His shot was denied by Davies but, once again, Mubama was there to tap home the rebound.

City held the ball after the restart which made it impossible for Liverpool to gather momentum and search for another equaliser.

But another Liverpool burst in the closing minutes saw City hold strong, including a last-ditch tackle from Max Alleyne to confirm our place in the quarter-finals.

HOW WE LINED UP

Spike Brits was positioned in goal. A familiar back four of Lakyle Samuel, Max Alleyne, skipper Jahmai Simpson-Pusey and Seb Naylor completed City’s defence.

In our engine room, Charlie Gray, Jaden Heskey and Justin Oboavwoduo were joined by attacking trio Divin Mubama, Ashton Muir and Reigan Heskey.

CITY XI | Brits, Samuel, Alleyne, Simpson-Pusey, Naylor (Mfuni 120'), Gray, R. Heskey (Henderson-Hall 69’), J. Heskey, Mubama, Oboavwoduo (Okeke 91’), Muir (McAidoo 88’).

UNUSED SUBS | Wint.

LIVERPOOL XI | Davies, Mabaya (Miles 99’), Pinnington, Nallo, Davidson, McConnell, Kone-Doherty, Nyoni, Pilling, Laffey (Figeuroa 88’), Ngumoha (Balagizi 75’).

UNUSED SUBS | Trueman, Spearing.

WHAT IT MEANS

City have progressed to the quarter-finals of the PL2 play-offs.

We will now face Arsenal at the Joie Stadium on the weekend of 3 May with the fixture date and kick-off time to be confirmed in due course.

UP NEXT

Preparation now begins for our quarter-final tie against Arsenal.

Keep across mancity.com and the Official Man City App for updates on when our next PL2 playoff fixture will be played.