United Under-18s' winning run comes to a close
Manchester United Under-18s were involved in a Lancashire battle with Burnley on Saturday morning, before bowing to a very rare defeat.
Neil Ryan's side had remarkably won the previous eight games, in a sequence dating back to the FA Youth Cup defeat at the hands of Chelsea on 30 October.
So there was certainly no cause for alarm when the hosts at Leyland County Ground scored after just three minutes though Sam Unwin but that proved to be the only goal of the game, as Burnley became only the second club to beat the Reds in the Under-18 Premier League this season.
After those two chances for Burnley, the Reds responded well with Dillon Hoogewerf sending a long-range shot over and Charlie Savage having a goal-bound effort blocked brilliantly on the line by Clarets centre-back Dan Sassi.
Vitek had to make a save to deny Brennan but the game remained firmly in the balance as the two sides went into half-time with the hosts still leading 1-0.
The first chance of the second half fell to Unwin and while his effort from inside the area flew wide, Charlie McNeill went much closer at the other end, almost equalising for United with a shot into the side netting.
The same Reds striker was subsequently thwarted by Burnley goalkeeper Sam Waller with a fine save, but the home side nearly had the final word in the 90th minute when Vitek was forced to make another stop, from Will Hugill, who then blasted the rebound over the frame. There was one other incident of note in injury time as Hoogewerf was sent off following a skirmish involving a few players.
United's Under-18s will be on the road again next Saturday, travelling to Sunderland in search of another good performance and with it, a return to winning ways.
United: Vitek; Jurado (Mainoo 86), Hardley, Hughes, Pye; Savage, Svidersky; Wellens, Hoogewerf, Emeran; McNeill.
Substitutes not used: Guadagno, Murray, Jackson.
Sent off: Hoogewerf, 90+4.
Goal: Burnley - Unwin, 3.
Match photos courtesy of Burnley FC.