The reserves began their defense of the trophy with an excellent 1-0 away win over City in the quarter final. Gerado Bruna scored the Reds' goal when he was first to the rebound after Joe Cole's inital shot was saved.
"It's perfect when you get the enthusiasm, the sparkle and passion Joe shows and he was terrific," said reserve team boss John McMahon.
"He showed what he is all about as a lad and a footballer and you can only applaud him on that and our young lads responded to that.
"He always looks to do the right things. He worked hard and he also did well in his defensive responsibilities by closing down space.
"He is always dangerous when he gets the ball and you see his quality and the problems he causes to the opposition.
"We are really pleased with Joe's performance and he can be pleased as well.
"I thought we started slowly but then we found our rhythm and played some fantastic football.
"I think Joe was impressed by what he saw from our lads as well."
