Under-18s: Middlesbrough 1 United 2

Gabriel opened the scoring with 12 minutes on the clock with a wonderful free-kick into the top left corner of the net.

The hosts equalised in the 42nd minute through Listowell Hinneh’s close-range effort, before United got back in front in the opening minute of first-half stoppage time with a fortuitous own goal.

There was no further scoring, as Darren Fletcher's side got the job done in the second period.

FIRST HALF - REDS IN FRONT

The first real chance of the game went the way of United, as Nathaniel Junior Brown broke into the penalty area on the right-hand side. The no.7 played a low ball into the path of Louie Bradbury, who struck a first-time effort off the crossbar.

Boro responded with a chance of their own in the ninth minute, when Listowell Lord Hinneh jinked into space on the edge of the 18-yard box, before firing a shot straight at Fred Heath, who produced a comfortable save. 

Dan Armer then drove forward, before being fouled on the edge of the area, setting up Gabriel for a dangerously placed set-piece. The schoolboy forward stepped up and rifled a brilliant effort into the top left corner of the net to put his side ahead with 12 minutes on the clock.

The hosts looked to get back on level terms, when a well-taken corner found the head of Hinneh inside the area. However, the Boro man couldn't get the power required to find the back of the net, allowing Heath to claim.

Lucas Harrison forced Heath into a good save, with seven minutes of the half remaining, as he drove to the edge of the area and dispatched a venomous effort on goal, which United’s no.1 did well to tip over the bar.

The resultant corner posed danger when Ollie Martin managed to head back into the six-yard box following a deep ball to the back post. Front-man Lucca Kakai was there to meet the ball, but couldn’t force it home as United managed to get it clear.

Rob Jones’s men continued to apply pressure to the backline as the first half wound down, as Will McPartland managed to find Harrison on the edge of the area, who saw his effort deflected wide.

United once again struggled to clear their lines from the set-piece, this time paying the price. The inswinging ball bobbled around in the penalty area, before being smashed home by the ever-dangerous Hinneh from close range to level the scores, with three minutes of the half left to play.

It looked as if the sides would go into the break level, until Gabriel found space on the left-hand side to drive into the penalty area and flash a low ball across the face of goal. Boro’s captain, Martin, connected with the cross first and looked to clear, only for his kick to smash off the back of Logan Edmundson and ricochet into the net.

SECOND HALF - UNITED GET THE JOB DONE

The Reds started the second half with the same energy, as Gabriel managed to wriggle into the area and fire a smart strike on goal, only to be denied by Oliver Lloyd in the Boro net. Middlesbrough could’ve got themselves on level terms for the second time following a quick counter from McPartland down the right-hand side. The defender squared a ball into the path of Joe Roberts on the penalty spot, who just couldn't get his footing right.

The pressure almost paid off for the hosts when Harrison found space in the area to fire an effort goalwards, but saw his strike fly just over the bar. Heath was called into action just after the hour mark, as he was on hand to palm Edmundson’s effort wide, following some good build-up play on the edge of the area.

United were almost undone again by a set-piece when the ball found Martin at the back post, who curled an audacious effort over everyone, which landed on the roof of the net, narrowly avoiding the crossbar.

Fletcher's side continued to push for a third, however, this time through substitute, Noah Ajayi. The forward saw his dangerous ball into the area put behind by Boro’s Martin. The resultant corner saw United get the first contact, but the effort was glanced just wide of the post. Middlesbrough’s frustrations began to show as Harrison’s ball towards the run of Smith on the left-hand side went well ahead of the advancing defender, as another opportunity went begging.

The young Reds went close to adding a third in the 73rd minute when the ball fell to the feet of Jay McEvoy just inside the penalty area. The no.6 opted to strike first time, only to fire wide of the mark. Continued hard work from United ensured that chances kept coming, this time through the goalscorer, Gabriel. His curled effort went just over the bar from the edge of the area.

Both sides had half-chances as the game broke into the final 10 minutes. The first fell for Boro, as Joey Tremain tried an acrobatic effort at the back post following a deep ball in, only for it to fly high and wide; before Gabriel was unlucky not to net again, this time being blocked and cleared. Lloyd was on hand to prevent a third for the visitors as Gabriel found Bradbury inside the penalty area, who, similarly to his earlier effort, struck first time, this time seeing the shot well stopped from close range.

Boro pushed the Reds right to the end, but following a claimed ball from Tremain by Heath, the game concluded with another three points for United.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Heath, Helafu, Mills, Armer (c), Watson, McEvoy, Shah (Kukonki 67), Gabriel, Brown (D. Nkoto 78), Plunkett (Ajayi 62), Bradbury.

Sub not used: Byrne-Hughes, Nyoni.

Goals: Gabriel 12, Edmundson (og) 45.

Booked: Plunkett, Watson, McEvoy.

Middlesbrough: Lloyd, Smith, McPartland, Martin (c), Givenson (Tremain 62), Jones, Hinneh, Edmundson, Harrison, Roberts, Kakai (Hounsell 66)

Subs not used: Moss, Woodhouse, Richardson.

Goal: Hinneh 42.

Booked: Kakai.