U21s Report: Man Utd 2 Leicester City 3

United striker James Wilson opened the scoring inside the opening 10 minutes with an easy finish after rounding Foxes ‘keeper Adam Smith, but the Foxes responded well and finally forced an equaliser through Joe Dodoo towards the end of the half. 

Steve Beaglehole’s side were soon able to capitalise on that first half superiority when, in stoppage time, Marc Albrighton unleashed a ferocious finish high into the net after a City corner. 

The Red Devils responded with a fortunate deflected goal from England Under-21s striker Will Keane, and with the game in the balance, it took until the second minute of stoppage time for former United man Jack Barmby to win it with a rocket. 

Having scored three times against a United side that had only conceded three all season, the Foxes have now moved off the foot of the table and find themselves in a rich vein of form going into two international games against . 

The Foxes started the match with great energy and tempo, but found themselves a goal down after just eight minutes, when dangerous United striker Wilson burst through the middle, took the ball around Adam Smith and rolled it into the net. 

City’s youngsters will have felt aggrieved at the goal, which came amid a flurry of their own chances. Albrighton had a snapshot saved at the near post, while Tom Hopper directed his effort an inch or so wide after Danny Simpson’s shot deflected into his path. 

Smith and Ben Amos then exchanged good saves at either end from Tom Thorpe and Jak McCourt respectively, as an entertaining opening continued to produce good chances for both teams. 

Simpson then found Hopper with a clever first time ball on the right with 25 minutes gone, but a Manchester United foot got their first, as in a half that City were enjoying the lion’s share of possession in, the hosts’ backline was proving difficult to breach. 

But that moment finally arrived in the 37th minute, and it was a deserved equaliser. Knockaert was the provider, as on the edge of the box he unselfishly picked out Dodoo in space, who then calmly stroked the ball low into the bottom corner. 

With City clearly in the ascendency, they looked to take full advantage with another flurry of chances. Dodoo struck the crossbar after shrugging off a challenge at the far post, Hopper forced a fingertip save from Amos after connecting with a right wing cross from Albrighton, while Knockaert also hit the bar with a brilliantly struck free kick. 

But it was left to Albrighton to finally put their noses in front during first half stoppage time. United failed to clear a corner from the left, and the former Aston Villa man capitalised emphatically with a powerful finish high into the net. 

In the second half, it again took United just eight minutes to breach the City defence, but the Foxes could count themselves unfortunate on this occasion, when Keane’s 20 yard shot deflected off Alie Sesay and beyond a helpless Smith. 

But again like in the first half, chances kept coming for City, with both Albrighton and Tom Lawrence firing wide from narrow angles on the left side. 

In response United turned up the pressure themselves, and with the introduction of fresh legs in the form of Joe Rothwell and James Weir, were beginning to work Smith with more frequency. 

City’s England Under-19 international Ben Chilwell was then introduced to the mix at the expense of McCourt, as Beaglehole’s team staked their claim for a victory, but barring a wild left foot volley from Sesay, the chances were drying up for both sides. 

As the clock ticked down, it was the Foxes who were camped in the opposition half and looking the more likely to score from some excellent crossing positions, however it was on the break that they finally claimed the winner. 

Lawrence cut in from the right, played it across to Barmby, who unleashed a powerful left footed shot into the top corner – sparking wild celebrations among the boys in blue. 

MAN UTD: Amos, Vermijl, Thorpe (c), Blackett, James, Pearson, Janko, A. Pereira (Rothwell 65), Wilson (Weir 63), Keane, Harrop 

SUBS NOT USED: J. Pereira, Grimshaw, Love 

GOALS: Wilson 8, Keane 53 

CITY: Smith, Simpson, Barmby (Panayiotou 90), McCourt (Chilwell 76), Sesay, Kennedy, Knockaert, Lawrence, Hopper (c), Albrighton, Dodoo 

SUBS NOT USED: Choudhury, Maddison, Scott 

GOALS: Dodoo 37, Albrighton 45, Barmby 90