U18s: United complete double over Liverpool

Neil Ryan's youngsters visited the scene of that remarkable 6-4 victory for our Under-23s - the first appearance in a United shirt for recent arrival Amad - and came home from Kirby with a victory that was just as satisfying if completely different.

This was certainly a day for both sets of defenders and our boys, including goalkeeper Radek Vitek, can take great pride in achieving a clean sheet, the team's first in 2021.

For the third game in a row, Charlie McNeill was United's only scorer and this time a solitary strike proved enough to secure all three points.

The decisive moment came in the 35th minute when a cross from Charlie Savage led to his namesake McNeill pouncing on a loose ball and executing a typical predatory finish. His tally for the season now stands at 14, following the current run of six in his last three appearances.

Liverpool created several decent attempts to draw level but United's Czech shot-stopper Vitek was equal to all of them, denying Polish midfielder Mateusz Musialowski on at least a couple of occasions.

The result on Merseyside means United have now completed a home-and-away double over Liverpool at this level in 2020/21 - Neil Ryan's team also triumphed in a thrilling home meeting in early December, winning 4-3 at the Aon Training Complex.

Although player development matters more in the Academy, it's also positive to see the club's name at the top of the Under-18 Premier League North table, three points ahead of our arch rivals.