U18s report: Blackburn 0 United 0

In tough conditions at the Blackburn Rovers Academy, Darren Fletcher's side won duels and played some good football but just couldn't put the ball into the net.

While attempting to score a late winner from close range, defender Jayden Ngwashi picked up a second yellow card for a foul, meaning United finished the contest with 10 players.

The draw sees our young Reds stay second in the U18 Premier League table, five points behind leaders Manchester City, but having broken a two-game losing run.

FIRST HALF

United's work in the first half set the tone for the entire contest. The young Reds got into good attacking areas on both flanks from the early stages, but couldn't quite put the perfect attack together with a final pass or shot to take the lead.

It felt like an encounter where the first goal would be crucial - two or three goals could have followed - but Blackburn stood firm to repel our advances. The hosts took the oppportunity to disrupt United's rhythm where possible, but Fletcher's visitors were able to get some consistent joy down our right flank.

Passing the ball between their centre-back and full-back on that side saw Nathaniel-Junior Brown get in behind on multiple ocassions, but we couldn't take advantage of the young winger's deliveries into the penalty area.

On the other wing, Samuel Lusale also found space in the final third and was able to get crosses in, although United weren't able to find the net. The approach play was good, the young Reds just needed to apply the finishing touch.

SECOND HALF

It meant Fletcher's team were pleased with the balance of play at half-time, but keen to get on top. That eagerness meant composure was harder to by after the break, although United would soon come as close as we had all afternoon.

Another cross into the box asked a question, and this time it was a Blackburn defender on the end of it, slicing the ball up into the air and onto the crossbar. It was a moment that, unfortunately, seemed to sum up the young Reds' day.

Despite that misfortune, we kept on coming forward into the latter stages and were putting the pressure with the desire to return to winning ways, after back-to-back defeats.

It meant Ngwashi, already booked but forward to try and help break the deadlock in the seventh minute of stoppage time, lunged in to score with the ball on the goalline, but unintentionally caught the Rovers goalkeeper and was shown a second yellow card. The full-time whistle would sound shortly after.

"It was a decent performance," reflected coach Colin Little, speaking to club media following the final whistle.

"We won lots of duels, landed on second balls and kept getting into really good areas down the sides of them. We just couldn't put the ball in the net and get the goal that we deserved.

"We were happy at half-time, but we didn't score in our last game also, so it starts to get a bit agitated. We're disappointed with that, we have to be more clinical and more composed to get the goal we need. 

"We want a similar performance going forward in terms of the way we build the attacks, we just want more outcome in the attacks. We want more people in the right areas to capitalise on our good play and, when we do get in the right areas, make the right contact to score the goals."

MATCH DETAILS

United: Heath; Overy, McCormack, Ngwashi, J. Watson; Thwaites, Ibragimov (c); Brown, Ibrovic-Fletcher, Lusale; Abdoulaye.

Subs used: Plunkett, Bailey, Shah, Ajayi.

Unused subs: Z. Watson.

Red card: Ngwashi.