UNDER-18S: ALTRINCHAM 2 MANCHESTER UNITED 1
Friendly Match | J Davidson Stadium | Scorers: Hannigan 19, Sedoc 58; Gomes 47
Kieran McKenna’s Manchester United Academy team took a break from the league programme to face a strong Altrincham side in a friendly match at the J Davidson Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The young Reds put on a highly creditable performance against a considerably older and more experienced set of players and equalised through Angel Gomes before losing narrowly in a closely-contested game.
Rain was forecast for this corner of Greater Manchester and it proved to be accurate with the wet stuff cascading onto the scene as the game got under way.
Altrincham, who are currently in a precarious position at the foot of English football's sixth tier, Vanarama National League North, started the game with the majority of their first team on duty, whilst United were represented by a selection close to that which won 5-2 at Sunderland three days earlier with the notable addition of Reserves centre-back Regan Poole in defence.
Something in the region of 200 hardy fans had braved the deluge to attend the game and it was the home supporters who were celebrating in the 19th minute when Tom Hannigan scored with a glancing header from Andy McWilliams' assist.
Sam Heathcote almost increased the home side’s advantage on the half-hour, but United’s goalkeeper Alex Fojtíček did well to prevent the shot from finding net. Two minutes later and the Reds looked to have found the equaliser, but Josh Bohui was ruled to have been in an offside position.
The United players opened the second half looking like they meant business and within two minutes they were on level terms after Gomes, the club's leading goalscorer at Under-18 level this season, had curled a shot past Altrincham keeper Tim Deasy.
The relentless rain continued to drench the J Davidson Stadium, but the atrocious conditions didn’t prevent the Robins' Diego Sedoc from lobbing his side back into the lead in the 58th minute.
The Reds almost grabbed a last-gasp equaliser following an almighty scramble in the Altrincham goalmouth, but the home side defended heroically to preserve their lead.
United: Fojtíček; Tanner, Warren, Poole, O’Connor; Mcintosh-Buffonge (Sang 87), Whelan, Hamilton (Barlow 72), Dearnley (Boonen 46); Gomes; Bohui.
Substitutes not used: Dunne, M. Johnstone (GK), Barrett, Spratt, Diedrick-Roberts.
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