City’s Elite Development Squad Lead Coach Ben Wilkinson expressed his satisfaction with the team’s attitude and praised their ‘pleasing performance’ in the 3-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers. The win saw City return to winning form in Premier League 2, maintaining their place at the top of the league before turning attention to the UEFA Youth League.
Matty Henderson-Hall, Emilio Lawrence, and Matty Warhurst scored the goals to secure City’s 11th league win of the season, continuing an impressive campaign in 2024/25.
Saturday’s result further demonstrated Wilkinson’s side displaying the right mentality and applying the hard work from their training sessions.
“I thought we played really well,” said Wilkinson.
“The attitude toward the game was excellent, both in terms of what we wanted to do with the ball and without it.
“An away game can be tricky, especially on a smaller pitch than what we’re used to, so overall it was a pleasing performance.
“We talked earlier in the week about what to expect from the game and the type of performance we needed.
“I think we delivered that well, and the boys were really focused on executing what we had discussed.
“We got our reward for it. The game unfolded as we anticipated, which was satisfying.”
The match also marked the return of centre-back Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, who had recently recovered from a minor injury setback.
His return was timely, as City now prepares to take a strong squad to FC Midtjylland for their UEFA Youth League Round of 32 clash next week.
Wilkinson believes Simpson-Pusey and Max Alleyne form one of the most solid defensive pairings in the league.
“We’re disappointed not to keep a clean sheet,” said Wilkinson.
“We had discussed that before the game, as it’s been a while since we last kept one. But we have immense trust in Max [Alleyne] and Jahmai [Simpson-Pusey].
“I think it’s hard to find a better centre-back pairing in the league than them two, and as a coach, I feel confident knowing they’ll deliver what’s needed both with and without the ball.
“So, having Jahmai back was fantastic, and we’re definitely a better team with him.”
