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United Reserves wracked up a fifth win on the spin in all competitions - third in the league - by taking maximum points in style at Norwich City on Tuesday night.
The three players who made senior debuts in the Carling Cup a week ago were all on duty, and two of them - Paul Pogba and Larnell Cole - were on the scoresheet. Meanwhile, Ezekiel Fryers started at centre-back alongside Michael Keane, brother of Will who killed off the Canaries with a goal in each half.
Any concerns that the long trek might lead to a sluggish start for Warren Joyce's young side were dispelled*in the*third minute when Pogba*profited from a mistake by Canaries defender*Simon Lappin*to put United 1-0 up.
The advantage only lasted until the quarter-hour mark when Norwich's Matt Ball*beat Ben Amos with a diving header from Sam Kelly's cross. But while the home side dominated for much of the first period with the score locked at 1-1 and Amos was forced into a good save from Chris Martin, it was United's superior cutting edge that separated the sides again six minutes before the break.
A wonderful*link-up between Pogba and*Will Keane paved the way for the former to shoot straight at goalkeeper Declan Rudd, and when United won the ball back as it rebounded into play, the latter slotted home to make it 2-1. It could have been 3-1 at half-time but Keane's bid to round Rudd from Pogba's*threaded pass*was thwarted when the keeper got a hand to the ball.
The Reds did put daylight between themselves and Norwich early in the second half when Larnell Cole, seven days after his senior debut at Leeds, drilled a left-footed shot across the keeper after being played in by Pogba. Will Keane also played his part in the third goal, before scoring the fourth himself with a fine strike after chesting down Davide Petrucci's pass.
After an impressive 75 minutes, Pogba made way for the return of Ravel Morrison. The attacking midfielder came off the bench, as did defender Tom Thorpe earlier for Michele Fornasier, but he couldn't help United find any further goals. Not that any were required, not even when Aaron Wilbraham pulled a second goal back for Norwich four minutes from time.
United: Amos; Brown, M Keane, Fryers, McGinty; Fornasier (Thorpe), Petrucci, James (Vermijl); Pogba (Morrison), W Keane, Cole. Subs not used: Coll, Cofie.
