U18s: United 0 Sunderland 1
Manchester United's Under-18s fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Sunderland in our U18 Premier League meeting at Carrington.
The Black Cats took an early lead after Liam Hunt headed home a Tom Procter corner.
Samuel Lusale came close to an equaliser later in the first half, with his effort deflected on to the post.
Darren Fletcher's side created a few good chances on the other side of the interval, but were unable to breach the visitors' goal on a blustery Saturday afternoon.
FIRST HALF
The visitors raced out of the blocks on the referee's whistle, and got their reward in the fourth minute when Hunt nodded in Procter's corner, although there appeared to be some deliberation between the pair about whether the touch came before the ball crossed the line.
The pressure didn't let up for the rest of the first 10 minutes, but the young Reds grew into the game from that point, spending the majority of the rest of the half in the Black Cats' box.
Both Douka Nkoto and Gabriel worked some good opportunities, but United came closest to an equaliser when Lusale raced past Bayley Hester on the right flank and got his shot off inside the box, but the Sunderland defence got enough on the effort to direct it against the post and back out.
Despite United's persistence, however, we headed into the break a goal down.
SECOND HALF
Our opponents kicked off after the interval in much the same way they did in the first, Hester racing towards our goal and getting off a shot that produced a good, low save from Freddie Heath.
But, following the pattern of the first half, we quickly regained control of possession, and rarely let it up for the remainder of the half.
United looked the most dangerous down the right, drawing two fouls a few yards out from the Sunderland box. Jim Thwaites stepped up on both occasions, with Jacob Watson and Edward Ibrovic-Fletcher consecutively getting to the deliveries first in the penalty area, but nodding just wide each time.
The Reds increased the pressure on the visitors as the full-time whistle neared, and it looked to have paid when the ball fell to Gabriel just outside the six-yard box in the final moments, but the forward could not direct the chance towards goal.
MATCH DETAILS
United: Heath; Overy, Kukonki, Mills, Watson (McCormack 59); Thwaites (c), McEvoy (Ibragimov 59); Lusale, Bailey (Brown 75), Gabriel; Nkoto (Ibrovic-Fletcher 65).
Subs not used: Osuchukwu.