UNDER-18S: UNITED 5 MIDDLESBROUGH 1
Under-18 Premier League | 3 September 2016 | Aon Training Complex | Scorers: Boonen 36, Kanu 52, 58, Gomes 68, Buffonge 90; Holdsworth 47
Manchester United’s youngsters followed last Saturday’s convincing 5-1 victory over Everton with another five-goal haul against Middlesbrough at the Aon Training Complex.
The confidence gained from that win at Finch Farm certainly carried over to this fixture as the young Reds set about their task with an extremely positive approach.
The weather was simply awful for most of the contest with the predicted deluge sadly becoming a reality on a very wet morning in Carrington.
New coach Kieran McKenna and his assistant Colin Little must have been delighted with the performance, for not only was it another free-scoring display but the football produced in testing conditions was outstanding.
Remarkably, it took United until the 37th minute to find the first goal, Indy Boonen slotting home from Angel Gomes’s pass, but that was just the first-half starter before the second-half main course.
It didn’t look like it was going to be plain sailing when, shortly after the break, Boro pulled one back thanks to Brendan Holdsworth’s 25-yard blockbuster.
The visitors appeared to have a spring in their step but, five minutes later, they were pegged back again when Gomes crossed for triallist Idris Kanu to tap home. Kanu’s goal lit the blue touch paper for, in the time that remained, United were virtually unstoppable.
It was football of the highest order and the three goals that followed were all beautifully constructed as the Reds’ forwards went on the rampage.
Kanu grabbed his second in the 59th minute and, 10 minutes later, Kayne Diedrick-Roberts set up Gomes to score the fourth goal.
It looked like the damp but delighted supporters watching the game would have to settle for 4-1 this week but, in the last minute of normal time, Jake Kenyon provided the assist and DJ Buffonge crowned a highly satisfactory performance with the fifth and final goal.
United : Moutha-Sebtaoui; Tanner, O'Connor, Dunne (Ercolani 51), Kenyon; Whelan, Hamilton; Buffonge, Gomes, Boonen (Makela 71); Kanu (Diedrick-Roberts 63).
Subs not used : Johnstone, Barrett.
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