Manchester United’s u21s took on local rivals Manchester City in Premier League 2 action earlier today in desperate search of a win.
The match started well with United taking an early lead in just the fourth minute. Isak Hansen-Aaroen’s corner was sent to the back post and headed back across goal by Bjorn Hardley for Rhys Bennett to nod in from close range.
City pulled one back as Carlos Borges ran off the back of Bennett and was fed by Oscar Bobb before clipping the ball past Radek Vitek and into the bottom right corner.
Kobbie Mainoo and Hansen-Aaroen linked up down the left and worked some space into the box for Mainoo to smash an effort towards goal that was only kept out by a fantastic save to keep the score level going into the break.
Early in the second half, after a patient spell of possession Charlie McNeill had a long range strike sail just wide of the left post.
City hit on the break with Adedire Mebude in acres of space on the right to flash a ball across the box for Borges to tap in free at the back post and give City the lead, which would spark a capitulation from United.
Another counter attack from the wide pairing, but this time in reverse, saw Borges race down the left and centre to Mebude to jink past Teden Mengi and Bennett before slotting into the top left corner.
Hitting on the break again, Kian Breckin ran through the middle before feeding Borges on the left to hit past Vitek for his third of the match which he celebrated by performing the new Ronaldo celebration.
Shortly after, a poor pass from Mengi at the back coughed up possession and then his failed attempt to make the tackle on William Dickson on the recovery allowed the striker to toe poke it under Vitek and run off to perform another of Ronaldo’s trademark celebrations to further rub salt in the wounds.
A blocked shot fell to Mebude on the right and the winger took on Hardley before crossing into the box. It couldn’t be cleared and bounced around before being smashed home by Borges to make it six for City.
The final whistle came shortly after to put United out of their misery. The loss leaves United in 11th place out of 14 with just one win in the league.
Speaking after the match, manager Mark Dempsey was disappointed after a good first half, saying “it hurts, it hurts all of us in there.”
Touching on the young United side’s tendency to give goals away at the back, Dempsey said “it’s unacceptable, I thought we’d eradicated that but it appears we haven’t.”
United: Vitek, Jurado, Bennett, Mengi, Hardley, Savage, Iqbal, Forson (Emeran 80), Mainoo, Hansen-Aaroen, McNeill
Unused subs: Harrison, Bernard, Huddlestone
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