Manchester United’s u18s were in action yesterday as they hosted Wolverhampton Wanderers at Carrington.
United got off to a slow start, struggling to deal with the physicality of Wolves but started to get a foothold after the opening 15 minutes.
It was an even encounter for most of the first half and took until the 43rd minute for Ethan Ennis to break the deadlock for United.
Logan Pye played Omari Forson down the line who laid it off for Ennis to cut in from the left and dribble across the top of the box before reversing a shot into the bottom left corner.
The second half saw Wolves come flying out of the gates with a ball fizzed across the face of the goal just seconds after the restart but no one was following in for the tap in.
United came out hot as well though and struck again within the minute. Charlie McNeill played a fabulous through ball through the centre of the Wolves defence for Joe Hugill to run in behind and strike past the keeper to make it 12 goals in 11 in the league this season.
McNeill had an opportunity of his own to score in the 57th minute when Forson found him open on the right side of the box but he dragged his shot across and wide of the left post.
A cross from Sam Murray found a lurking Manni Norkett at the back post and the backpedalling forward just about got his head on it to send a looping ball back towards goal forcing the keeper into a finger tip save over the bar.
United were in full stride in the second half as the chances were flowing and another opened for Sam Mather this time as Norkett got to the byline and cut back for the midfielder who was denied by a fantastic save as the keeper got down quickly.
In the 74th minute, Norkett was played in on the left by Mather and a strong challenge came across and wiped the forward out to win United a penalty.
Immediately jumping back to his feet and racing to get the ball, Norkett wasn’t letting anyone else take the spot kick. But despite sending the keeper the wrong way, his shot clipped the outside of the right post and out.
Wolves did look to threaten late on with a surging charge from the pacey Tyler Roberts but he couldn’t find the composure, in the end, to keep his shot on target.
United: Hanbury, Pye, Jurado, Aljofree, Murray, Oyedele, Forson, Mather, Ennis (Hansen-Aaroen), McNeill (Norkett 60), Hugill
Unused subs: Polakowski