With Sven-Göran Eriksson and Avram Grant in the crowd, it was the Manchester City manager who was given a much-needed boost as the home team overcame Chelsea to win the FA Youth Cup at the City of Manchester Stadium last night.

It was City’s first success in the competition since the 1986 team that included Andy Hinchcliffe, David White and Paul Lake and, after producing countless first-team players such as Micah Richards, it was the first silverware in 11 years at the club for Jim Cassell, the academy director.

With the tie level at 1-1 from the first leg, Chelsea made an ideal start by taking the lead after seven minutes, when Jacob Mellis, the midfield player signed for £1.3 million from Sheffield United last summer, ended a fine run with a shot that was parried by Greg Hartley, the City goalkeeper, straight at Ryan McGivern, the defender, and rebounded over the line.

City’s fast, counter-attacking play was in stark contrast to Chelsea’s methodical passing and they got back on level terms midway through the first half when a hanging cross from Andrew Tutte was headed in by Ben Mee, their captain. Having been fouled by Seth Ofori-Twumasi, Chelsea’s only home-grown player, Vladimir Weiss curled in a free kick to put the home team ahead.

Much like the senior side, Chelsea enjoyed plenty of pressure in the second half. But they were killed off when Weiss’s counter-attack was halted by a foul from Sergio Tejera Rodriguez and David Ball converted from the penalty spot. Mellis was then sent off for a lunge on Kieran Trippier, who had to be taken off on a stretcher.

Manchester City (4-4-2): G Hartley — K Trippier (sub: A Ibrahim, 90min), B Mee, D Boyata (sub: A Tsiaklis, 83), R McGivern — V Weiss, S Kay, A Tutte, D McDermott — D Ball, R Mak. Substitutes not used: F Mentel, A Nimely-Tchuimeni, J Poole. Booked: Mee.

Chelsea (4-4-2): R Taylor — S Ofori-Twumasi, J Bruma, P van Aanholt, B Gordon (sub: F Nouble, 73) — G Kakuta, J Mellis, M Woods, M Stoch — M Nielsen (sub: A Phillip, 55), S Tejera. Substitutes not used: A Hadehia, T Taiwo, J Saville. Booked: Ofori-Twumasi. Sent off: Mellis.

Referee: P Walton.