Bristol City striker starlet hits hat-trick as U23s beat Millwall U23s with centre-back impressing

Robins second string - led by Micky Bell and Ali Hines - oversaw a fine win over the side from the capital.
City U23s beat Millwall U23s on Tuesday afternoon at the Robins High Performance Centre.City U23s beat Millwall U23s on Tuesday afternoon at the Robins High Performance Centre.
City U23s beat Millwall U23s on Tuesday afternoon at the Robins High Performance Centre.

Bristol City U23s bounced back to winning ways in the Professional Development League with a comprehensive win over Millwall U23s on Tuesday afternoon.

A hat-trick from young striker Prince Henry - with three excellent close-range finishes - saw the home side to a victory, after the recent 3-3 draw with Cardiff City U23s at the High Performance Centre. Recent January free contract pick-up Duncan Idehen powered home a header from a set-piece to rubber-stamp a fine dominant defensive display.

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The Robins were short of any senior inclusion as Nigel Pearson’s side play against Coventry later in the day. And with former assistant head coach Jamie McAllister watching his former club from the stands, the young talent at the club showed what they’re capable of with a strong display that kept Kevin Nugent’s visitors well in check.

City roll on to face a rematch with Cardiff City in South Wales next.

Tale of the game

With Idehen playing the right-sided centre-back of the central defensive pairing, with Nathaniel Williams, Millwall threatened through Nino Aoom Malaki early on, testing James Taylor down the right.

And after just five minutes Idehen was hooking clear off the line as goalkeeper Mac Boyd almost fumbled a cross into the City net. Minutes later a Malaki cross saw Idehen slice over his own bar, but clear the ball at least, Williams heading the resulting corner over the bar.

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The nimble Abdul Abdulmalik was causing problems as the visitors took the game to the team in red, but City responded with Kadji twice winning the ball high up the pitch and skipper James Morton’s dipping cross causing the Millwall defence alarm.

Prince Henry’s scuffed shot drifted just past the post after 20 minutes, while James Taylor was neat tidying up an Abdulmalik attack in the first half too, that the watching McAllister from the stands would have appreciated as a former full-back.

Idehen then travelled with the ball out of defence, to set a move in motion that saw Owers cross low from the right and Seb Palmer-Houlden’s clip at goal tipped over the bar acrobatically by keeper Jordan Gillmore.

After 26 minutes, the opener: Prince Henry scoring after good play by Kadji found Barney Soady in space down the left. Henry tapped home after the initial shot from Soady was saved. And just three minutes later it was two as Henry grabbed a second from close range, finishing Bell’s header across goal after a lovely pass from Morton had opened up the chance.

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Henry headed just wide soon after, with City switching to a 3-5-2 to allow Bell and Soady to push high up the flanks.

Bell blasted the side netting as he burst in on goal just before the break, following another raking ball finding him from midfield, and a Soady cross was only glanced in the area when the Robins may have added to the scoreline.

With Owers and Kadji winning the ball high and Morton prompting play from deep with those svelte passes, there was just the silk to bring an otherwise scrappy encounter to life.

After the break, a slight misread of a long lofted ball by Idehen saw Leahy on goal, but an unsure touch and some rapid recovery pace saw the Bristol City defender goal-side very quickly, and the danger was soon snuffed out.

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A dive at the near post by Taylor kept out a cross, as Morton released Palmer-Houlden with another glorious pass, and Williams survived a penalty shout as Leahy went close to netting following a good through-ball and Boyd being rounded. The ball trickled wide with under half an hour to play.

Kadji blazed over and Owers played in the City no . 8 to rampage at goal, with only a corner resulting.

Idehen then headed Morton’s corner at goal, but lacking in power, Gillmore picked up the ball easily. Two minutes later, in the 66th minute, the centre-back went one better, powerfully guiding Morton’s floated free-kick into the far corner of the goal.

With Ryley Towler completing return-to-play individual training exercises on his own behind the pitch in use, City grabbed a fourth, as Henry slotted in following another Morton set-piece on 72 minutes. A fine hat-trick for the City second string for the 18-year-old.

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Omar Taylor-Clarke replaced Josh Owers, who limped off following a rugged challenge in the middle late on, but the game was sewn up by then.

Idehen cleared from goal powerfully with a header late on as Boyd touched wide Sean O’Brien’s late free-kick, which was arrowing into the side of the goal.

And sub Olly Thomas set Palmer-Houlden away to hit the side netting in the final seconds, as another good workout for the Robins was complete.

Bristol City: Boyd; Taylor, Williams, Idehen, Soady; Bell, Morton, Kadji (Thomas, 87’), Owers (Taylor-Clarke, 73’); Henry, Palmer-Houlden

Millwall: Gillmore, Walker, Malaki, Allen, Okoli, Topalloj, O;’Brien, Babjide, Leahy, Abdulmalik, Davis

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