U18s Report: City 1 Man United 2

It was cruel on Trevor Peake’s Foxes, who were the better side for large periods of the match and took a well-deserved 1-0 lead into half time courtesy of a stunning strike from Luke Downes on the breakaway.

After half time though, Josh Harrop scored direct from a corner kick to give the Red Devils a foothold before Demetri Mitchell met Callum Evans’ cross with a sensational left foot volley to steal the points for his side.

City’s young team have been steadily finding their feet as a Cat. 1 team in the league this season, and put on a much-improved performance in a high-tempo opening period in which they could easily have been two or three up.

In the 16th minute a corner was cut back to Dylan Casey, who drive an excellent effort at goal that United ‘keeper Joel Pereira could only parry into the path of Sam Jones. However the ball came quickly at the big defender and he fired wide, much to the relief of United.

Simonas Stankevicius, Kyle Bailey and Downes all then had further chances until with ten minutes until half time, City finally took the lead with a cutting counter attack.

United committed men forward to their attack but City won the ball on the edge of their area and were able to work the ball to Downes on the left flank. The striker showed great pace against a backtracking United and took the ball from his own half to inside the opposition box, where he fired a shot confidently into the bottom corner on the angle.

It was a great opening from City and it took a freak goal for United to get back on level terms on 57 minutes.

Harrop swung in the corner from the right, which was missed by a defender at the near post before squirming its way past City ‘keeper Liam Sharpe to make it 1-1.

While The Foxes will have been disappointed to concede the first goal, there was little they could have done with the second.

United captain Evans burst down the right flank to put in a first time cross to the far post which at first looked over hit, until Mitchell arrived late into the box to drive a perfect angled volley into the opposite corner.

City did have further chances to score, most notably from Eddy Samba, but the visitors did not want to surrender their lead easily and held on for a narrow victory.

City U18s:Sharpe, Casey, Chilwell, Miles, Jones, Ngoma (c), Bailey, Awuah, Stankevicius, Downes, Samba

Subs:Burke, Smith, Moore, Rone, King

Goal:Downes 35

Man United U18s:Pereira, Evans (c), Barber, McConnell, Borthwick-Jackson, Harrop, Rielly, Willcock, Crosbery, Fletcher, Mitchell

Subs:Thompson, Henderson, Redmond, Reid, Kehinde

Goals:Harrop 57, Mitchell 64