U21s: United 2 City 1

Chido Obi had put the young Reds ahead shortly before half-time, after winning possession high up. An even game included spells of dominance for each side, and chances aplenty, with City levelling 15 minutes from time when Reigan Heskey poked neatly past Will Murdock from close range.

United showed resilience to wrestle back control of the fixture and lead once again, with substitutes Shea Lacey and Amir Ibragimov combining for a late winner.

United showed intent from kick-off, with Sam Mather’s neat footwork taking him past a couple of markers before a well-weighted pass teed up James Scanlon to shoot when cutting in on his left. His effort went over.

Despite that early promise, City found a better rhythm from then on. Divine Mukasa’s right-footed curling strike was easily saved by Will Murdock, but the attempts that followed offered a greater threat. Stephen Mfuni’s marauding run from defence set up Ryan McAidoo to shoot, but the City man watched United skipper Jacob Devaney block. The Irish youth midfielder, captaining the Reds from defence, put in another fantastic block only a minute later, this time just a yard off the goalline, to deny Ashton Muir.

The onslaught didn’t stop there. City striker Justin Oboavwoduo pounced on a loose pass back towards United’s goal, but Will Murdock tipped his one-on-one effort just round the right post. After a slight lull, City watched with frustration as Reigan Heskey, Mukasa and Oboavwoduo all failed to convert decent opportunities, or were met by solid United defending.

An instinctive Jack Fletcher shot, after a United free-kick had gone loose in the area, was deflected wide of the right post and indicated a change in momentum. Just as the sun beat off the rain in the first half at Leigh, United had weathered the storm and began to put some pressure on the visitors.

Under that pressure, City faltered. Chido Obi won possession for United on the edge of the box, got past his man and finished past the on-rushing Jack Wint to give the Reds a half-time lead.

Confident with that lead, United sought to double the advantage shortly after the break. Jack Fletcher tried to finish a patient, free-flowing move, but Wint was equal to it. Scanlon then shot wide of the left post after another smooth attack.

Still, City threatened, but now on the counter-attack, rather than with sustained possession. Oboavwoduo controlled a long ball over the top excellently but, under pressure from Devaney, shot wide of the left post when staring down goalkeeper Murdock. Substitute Mahamadou Sangare then bore down but elected to cut inside rather than shoot early, allowing Kamason to recover and block well.

Another Jack Fletcher effort was well-blocked by City, before substitute Shea Lacey brought great threat for the Reds, with a first-time effort forcing Wint to tip off the crossbar, then by shooting direct from a corner, with the same result.

But City remained a major threat on the counter and finally got their goal when Heskey charged forward and went alone, eventually finishing with a neat right-footed poke into the far right corner.

The Blues then could have led, but Murdock came up big to deny Sangare’s header before the Blues' no.16 had a dipping shot land on the roof of the net.

Instead, United wrestled back control, with Lacey’s quick feet and persistence creating something out of nothing on the right, from where he crossed invitingly. With no City defender to clear, fellow substitute Amir Ibragimov pounced and finished first-time.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Murdock; Kamason, Devaney (c), Armer, Mantato; T. Fletcher (Ibragimov 77), Fitzgerald (Lacey 72); Scanlon (Overy 88), J. Fletcher, Mather; Obi (Biancheri 88).

Unused subs: Musa.

Goals: Obi 43, Ibragimov 83 | R. Heskey 76.