Manchester City under-18s allowed Manchester United to score straight from the kick-off after a mix-up between the United players and their goalkeeper in the build-up to the City goal.
With City 2-0 down as half-time neared, the away side were pushing hard for a goal as they looked to rescue the game.
A confusing piece of play led to Tai Sodje rolling the ball into the net to hand City a crucial goal.
However, in the build-up to the goal, Sodje latched onto a passback to the United goalkeeper that stemmed from an injury.
United had put the ball out of play due to a prior injury. Sodje, not understanding the situation, latched onto the backpass and scored.
City, however, showed their sportsmanship, allowing United to score a third goal, reinstating the two-goal difference between the teams.
Incidentally, Charlie McNeill, a former City academy player, was the man who was allowed to score.
Most pertinently, it was his hat-trick goal against his former club in a local derby.
After half-time, Sodje scored a perfectly valid goal. Some lovely play from the City midfield released Carlos Borges down the left flank. Borges then whipped in a low cross across the six-yard box that Sodje tapped into the empty net at the back post.
Sodje, who only turned 17 in September and has been with the City academy since the under-12 level, has been in tremendous form for the under-18 team this season.
Prior to Saturday’s contest with United, he had 11 goals in 11 games. He scored in the reverse fixture against United earlier this year and has five goals against Liverpool under-18s across two games including a hat-trick in October.
Later, Sodje highlighted the hat-trick as the greatest moment of his career to date.
“There are a quite few but scoring that hat-trick away at Liverpool earlier this season stands out,” he told the official club website . “It was a big game and to do it at their ground made it even more special.”
On his style of play, Sodje added: “I would say that I’m a goal scorer – but I can play across the front three. I enjoy playing all three positions and like to think I’ve a good understanding of them all.
“I‘d say on the pitch that I’m a bit of a leader with the way that I try to work for the team.
“Off it, I'd like to get think I get on with people.”
