UNDER-18S: MANCHESTER UNITED 4 DERBY 0
Under-18 Premier League | The Cliff Training Ground | Scorers: Gomes 9 (pen), Chong 29, Bohui 36, Buffonge 53
Manchester United’s Under-18s moved to the top of the Premier League North table following a comfortable win at The Cliff on Friday evening.
With leaders Manchester City not in action until Saturday the victory saw them leapfrog their neighbours into first place, and it was another impressive performance from the youngsters as the Reds stretched their unbeaten streak to nine games.
The Cliff, to the uninformed, is United’s former training ground alongside the River Irwell in Greater Manchester’s ‘second-city’, Salford. The facility gained legendary status over five decades as a breeding ground for some of the club’s greatest players, most notably the fabled Busby Babes and Sir Alex Ferguson’s famed ‘Class of 92’.
Ahead of the game the groundsmen had treated the pitch to a generous session of ‘TLC’ and it was looking in truly pristine condition as the players and backroom staff of the two teams arrived. It certainly provided an inspirational setting for Kieran McKenna’s free-scoring young Reds who wasted no time getting into their stride.
It was an impressive start as United swept the ball about with the supreme confidence that an eight-match unbeaten run can generate. Just nine minutes into the game and United were in front when Angel Gomes put the ball into the net after Joshua Bohui had been felled in the area. It was a lead that was certainly deserved and in keeping with the flow of play in the early minutes of the game.
A few minutes later and Gomes almost made it two when narrowly shooting wide after taking a pass from Jake Kenyon. Kenyon was in sparkling form down the left wing using his pace to put the Derby defence under a constant threat.
In the 29th minute United doubled the lead with Tahith Ching planting a precise shot past Derby keeper Matthew Yates after Kenyon had provided the cross.
Seven minutes later and Kenyon was up to his tricks again sending over an inch-perfect pass into the area for Bohui to head firmly past Yates.
United took the foot off the pedal a little after half-time, but that didn’t stop the Reds adding a fourth goal, in the 53rd minute, through DJ Buffonge.
United and neighbours City look to be on course for a head-to-head battle for the league title and that little dispute will take centre stage next Saturday morning at the Aon Training Complex when the Blues are the visitors.
United: Moutha-Sebtaoui (Johnstone M. 57); Tanner, Warren, O’Connor, Kenyon (Ercolani 54); Chong, McIntosh-Buffonge, Whelan, Boonen (Barlow 74); Gomes, Bohui.
Subs not used: Dunne, Burkart
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