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Chorley 0 United XI 1



Manchester United - Official Site
20/07/2013 17:37, Report by Ian Davidson, A Bostock

Pre-Season Friendly
Victory Park, Chorley

CHORLEY 0

MANCHESTER UTD XI 1
(Rowley 16)

Attendance: 1,205

A youthful Manchester United XI recorded a 1-0 friendly victory at Chorley thanks to Louis Rowley's first-half strike and an early penalty save by Pierluigi Gollini.

Nicky Butt took charge of the team with Warren Joyce watching from the stands as the Reds faced a serious examination in the opening stages. Gollini was under immediate pressure with James Weir needing to clear from close to the goalline.

When Rowley tripped Tom Ince from behind, the perfect opportunity to cap the fine start with a goal arrived in the form of a fourth-minute penalty. Ince stepped up himself but failed to beat Gollini from the spot, shooting too close to the Italian.

United responded well with Andreas Pereira forcing a reflex stop out of Sam Ashton and the keeper saving at the feet of James Wilson after parrying an effort by captain Tom Lawrence. Back came Chorley with Rowley deflecting over an Ince drive but the left-back provided an even more telling contribution soon afterwards.

Lawrence latched onto a Jack Barmby pass and fired goalwards with Rowley on hand to stab in the rebound after former Bolton keeper Ashton could only push it into a dangerous area. Darren Stephenson dribbled past Paddy McNair, who seems to have sprouted up over the summer, only for Gollini to rush out and make a brave stop before Ince had a header ruled out for what looked an obvious offside infringement.

Pereira showed flashes of his quality but his finish did not match a mazy dribble while Lawrence and Barmby saw efforts fielded by Ashton. However, the hosts finished the half the stronger with Gollini touching over a Dale Whitham piledriver and blocking at his near post after Stephenson rampaged through.

There was less goalmouth action after the interval with Wilson ploughing a lone furrow in attack and trying to exploit his pace, only to see a couple of attempts blocked. Joe Rothwell exerted a growing influence in midfield as the Reds were only sporadically troubled with Witham spurning the clearest opening for some time when firing across goal.

Trialist Fisayo Adarabioyo took over Wilson's striking duties with Sam Byrne operating down the left after Butt made a couple of changes and he tried a curling shot that was comfortably saved by Ashton. With a raft of substitutions disrupting the flow of play, United were able to take the sting out of the opposition with a degree of comfort.

Adarabioyo and Jamie Cairns traded weak efforts as the EvoStik League side were unable to get back on level terms with Butt's youngsters running out convincing victors on a pleasant evening in Lancashire.

United: Gollini; Weir (Love 72), McNair, Grimshaw, Rowley; Barmby, Rudge (Adarabioyo 66), Rothwell, Pereira; Lawrence, Wilson (Byrne 66). Sub not used: Sutherland.