Manchester United’s u18s traveled to take on Stoke City on Saturday morning in just their third league match of the season.
The starting XI featured a fresh face as 14 year old wonderkid Amir Ibragimov made his competitive debut for the u18s after recently scoring in a friendly.
United opened the match with some early headed chances from Ethan Williams and Manni Norkett, but neither troubled the Stoke keeper.
Against the run of play, Stoke’s Matty Lusakueno ran through the United defence but couldn’t beat Tom Wooster in goal.
The bulk of the action came late in the first half with a flurry of chances which started with Stoke hitting the woodwork after a cross wasn’t dealt with.
Manni Norkett then forced a save from a tight angled effort before Adam Berry tried his luck from a long range free kick which went over the bar.
Five minutes into the second half, a huge chance opened up for Stoke after a giveaway from Sonny Aljofree. A cut back looked to create an easy chance to finish into the open goal but Harrison Parker somehow managed to recover and clear.
Both sides exchanged blows back and forth, with the youngster Ibragimov charging through to start one attack before finding Norkett in the box, who laid off the ball for Ethan Wheatley’s first touch off the bench. But his left footed strike flashed across the goal and just inches wide of the right post.
Wheatley had another chance shortly after but this time the shot was blocked.
In the 67th minute, a long punt down the pitch from the Stoke keeper completely caught out the United backline and Lusakueno ran in behind to poke the ball past the advancing Wooster to give Stoke the lead.
United’s best chance of the match came three minutes later when Berry played an exquisite outside of the boot pass over the top for Norkett to race onto before rounding the keeper and smashing his shot off the post.
United would chase until the end for the equalizer but ultimately couldn’t find the back of the net.
United: Wooster, Lawrence (Nolan 75), Parker (Jackson 60), Aljofree, Murray, McAllister (Fitzgerald 60), Oyedele, Williams (Wheatley 60), Berry, Ibragimov, Norkett
Unused subs: Myles
