U18s match summary: United v Leeds

Right-back Jaydan Kamason gave United the perfect start by firing us into the lead inside two minutes. The defender nipped in to win the ball back, before being fed in on goal by Amir Ibragimov, where he kept his composure to finish low and hard from a tight angle.

The young Reds had control of the contest from that point on, and nearly went 2-0 up when Ibragimov’s swirling cross came back off the crossbar, minutes before a low cross from Kamason picked out James Scanlon who had a close-range attempt cleared off the line by Louie Dudley.

Scanlon did get his goal just before half-time, however, as Adam Lawrence’s high-scoring team scored twice more on the stroke of the break. Our no.11 turned home Ibragimov’s ball into the box with a first-time effort, before the latter was the provider again, teeing up Chido Obi to volley home from inside the 18-yard box.

Chances were by no means free flowing in the first 45, but our young Reds were clinical and made the most of what we were able to create in stormy conditions at Carrington.

Opportunities were harder to come by on the other side of the interval, as Leeds continued to battle and search out a route back into the encounter. Cutting inside from their right flank, Harvey Vincent curled a left-footed shot just over the crossbar, and later forced United goalkeeper Cameron Byrne-Hughes to hold onto a fierce strike that skidded up off the wet turf.

Substitute Gabriele Biancheri came the closest to extending our advantage in the second half, being denied one-on-one by visitors' shot-stopper George Kenyon, but the three goals and the win was enough for Lawrence's team to leapfrog Leeds and finish top of Group B on goal difference, securing progression to the next round of the competition.

 

MATCH DETAILS

United: Byrne-Hughes; Kamason, Munro, Armer, Amass (Lusale 72); Baumann, Devaney (c) (Thwaites 62); Mantato, Ibragimov, Scanlon; Obi (Biancheri 72).

Unused subs: Murdock (GK), Mills.

Booked: Amass, Devaney, Ibragimov, Thwaites | Bird, Chadwick, Dudley, McDonald, Pickles.

Goals: Kamason 2, Scanlon 40, Obi 44.