Development Squad Conclude EFL Trophy Campaign With Narrow Barrow Loss
For the clash in Cumbria, there were a host of changes in the City XI following Saturday’s Premier League 2 draw away to Arsenal, with Chituru Odunze keeping goal and Lewis Brunt captaining the side. Barrow, meanwhile, made 10 changes to the side that beat Banbury United 4-0 in the Emirates FA Cup First Round over the weekend, with Remeao Hutton the only player to remain.
Following a period of silence upon the sounding of The Last Post to commemorate the sacrifices of servicemen and women in conflicts past and present, City managed to force Barrow back in the opening stages, with Oli Ewing close to finding the net directly from a corner, albeit for Josh Lillis' tipped clearance. Odunze then had to be alert to Luke James' effort on nine minutes, as he made a good save with his legs at the near post.
The Foxes' early pressure appeared to have paid off on 19 minutes, however Bayli Spencer-Adams' close-range finish was ruled out for offside. A chance for Barrow followed just after the half-hour mark, as substitute Ozzy Zanzala brought a long ball down with his chest before slipping in Tom White, whose left-footed slotted attempt trickled wide of Odunze's left-hand upright.
At the end of the first half, Barrow captain Mark Ellis got up well, but couldn't direct his header from a corner on target, and then Zanzala went down in the box under a challenge from Kasey McAteer, however nothing was given as a goalless opening 45 minutes came to a close.
Into the second period, Thailand international midfielder Thanawat Suengchitthawon fired a free-kick over from around 25 yards, while Josh Kay had his low attempt gathered by Odunze, who then spread himself well to deny James with 55 minutes on the clock.
Leicester threatened too, with Ethan Fitzhugh testing Lillis from range on 61 minutes. Then came the visiting side's first change of the night as Terell Pennant came on in place of Will Russ, injecting energy into their attack.
Zanzala continued to threaten and with just over 15 minutes to play, he forced Odunze into an excellent point-blank save. Then, Iestyn Hughes made way for Tawanda Maswanhise. City were looking to win the game, and when McAteer bent an effort towards goal, the ball whistled past the top corner, missing the target by only a few inches.
With Will Alves now on, replacing Jake Wakeling, the Foxes has renewed impetus going forward, but Barrow were dangerous in the final third too, and it took a series of good defensive actions to prevent them from winning the game, while White headed wide of the mark just before the final whistle.
The tight encounter looked destined to head to a penalty shootout to determine the winner, however a stunning 30-yard winner from Stevens earned the hosts a slender lead in the second minute of stoppage time.
Major moment
While Bayli Spencer-Adams' disallowed goal in the first half certainly changed the complexion of the game, it was Jordan Stevens who settled the fixture with a brilliant long-range effort that Chituru Odunze - impressive throughout - couldn't get to.
Who impressed?
Captain Lewis Brunt - the central defender of a back three - produced a big performance for the Foxes, often dominating in the air against the Sky Bet League 2 outfit. Effectively marshalling Bayli Spencer-Adams and Shane Flynn either side of him, his leadership qualities were there for all to see on Tuesday night.
Coming up…
The Development Squad’s next outing comes after the international break, when they host Tottenham Hotspur at LCFC Training Ground on Monday 22 November (7pm GMT kick-off).
The details...
City: Odunze, Spencer-Adams, Brunt (c), Flynn, I. Hughes (Maswanhise 74'), Ewing, Suengchitthawon, McAteer, Fitzhugh, Wakeling (Alves 81'), Russ (T. Pennant 66').
Subs not used: Young, Grist, Wormleighton, Popov.