Manchester United’s Academy youngsters brought our Under-18 Premier League Cup campaign to a close with a 3-2 away win over West Bromwich Albion.
This was a curious fixture for the young Reds to approach in so much as we could have won by a cricket score and it would have done nothing to alter the situation that we had already been eliminated from the competition.
On the other hand, West Brom knew that they could still claim a place in the next phase with a high-scoring win over the Reds and the fashion in which they launched themselves into the contest suggested they really were on a mission.
It was a whirlwind start from the West Midlands side and could have been even more painful for United but for Ondrej Mastny’s spectacular goalkeeping.
McCann, the skipper, took the responsibility of converting them both and beat the Baggies’ goalkeeper Jamie Emery with a couple of shots that found the net in contrasting directions.
Just a couple of minutes later, McCann could quite easily have completed a rapid hat-trick for he was presented with a great opportunity right in front of goal but couldn’t keep his shot down.
The second half followed the pattern set earlier with both sides majoring on the offensive and ‘keepers Mastny and Emery earning plaudits for their efforts.
Realistically, the result could have gone either way, but it was United who claimed the fifth goal of the afternoon, in the 73rd minute, when Deji Sotona set up substitute Omari Forson to force the ball over the line.
There were no further additions to the scoresheet and the Reds' involvement in the Premier League Cup therefore ended with five points from three games and an unbeaten run in Group F.
United: Mastny; Hughes, Fish, Denham, Dodgson; McCann, Iqbal (Forson 61), Mejbri (Svidersky 46); Wellens, Sotona, Shoretire (Neville 85).
Substitutes not used: Mee, Hockenhull.
Scorers: West Brom - Thorndike 5, 8 pen | United - McCann 24 pen, 33 pen, Forson 77.
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