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Manchester United u18s hosted Blackburn Rovers at Carrington on Saturday morning.
Opening the season with four wins in four in the league, United continued their exemplary form from the first minute, taking the lead early on.
Coming into the match with nine goals in seven appearances, Gabriele Biancheri took his tally to double digits within the opening five minutes. Blackburn weren’t able to clear their lines, giving Biancheri the chance to muscle the defender off the ball to steal before shifting onto his left boot and striking into the bottom right corner from 14 yards out.
Biancheri proved he was human ten minutes later though. Jayce Fitzgerald’s delivery forced a wayward clearance from the Blackburn defender that landed on the head of Biancheri for an open net, albeit at a wide angle, but the prolific striker put too much power on it and lifted it over the bar.
Blackburn threatened on occasions themselves, finding some joy down their right wing in particular, but Will Murdock was up to the task with a couple of big saves.
United added their second on the stroke of the half hour mark. Fitzgerald led the charge on the break before playing to Bendito Mantato on the right side, whose cross was blocked back to Zach Baumann on the edge of the box. He shot low through the crowd into the far left corner of the goal.
The restart whistle had only gone a matter of seconds when Tyler Fletcher slipped Biancheri down the left. He slid the ball below the keeper and over the line as the recovering defender desperately slid to block, but couldn’t reach it in time.
The floodgates opened then and in the 36th minute, James Scanlon struck low from a wide angle on the left past the keeper to get his first of the day on his birthday as he turns 18.
Adam Lawrence’s side made it five just before the break. Tyler Fletcher, pulling the strings in midfield, supplied his third assist to Dante Plunkett, who ventured forward from left back to finish low past the keeper for his first goal in red, having signed this year from Aston Villa.
The second half saw United’s dominance continue, with Amir Ibragimov coming close with a headed attempt after being introduced off the bench.
Scanlon added his second just after the hour mark. Jim Thwaites played a give and go into the box with Biancheri to open the space before laying off to Scanlon, who slid it into the bottom right corner.
Three minutes later, Jacob Devaney’s cross was knocked down by Reece Munro at the back post and Godwill Kukonki was the quickest to react to smash home for his first goal at the level.
The goals kept coming, as Scanlon completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute. United pressed high to win possession through Thwaites before Tyler Fletcher fended off three defenders in the box to find Scanlon for the finish from six yards out.
The birthday boy rounded off the scoring with his fourth of the day and perhaps the best. Picking up the ball just inside Blackburn’s half, Scanlon ran 30 yards before curling the ball into the bottom right corner out of the keeper’s reach.
Amongst the stream of goals, the day also saw the return of Shea Lacey off the bench in the final stages, for his first appearance since April after a lengthy injury lay off.
The three points sees United continue their perfect start to the season with a goal difference of 21 after just five league matches. Having won the treble last season, Lawrence’s group look well on their way to repeating the feat.
United: Murdock, Devaney, Armer, Kukonki, Plunkett (Munro 61), T. Fletcher, Baumann (Ibragimov 52), Mantato (Thwaites 52), Fitzgerald (Lacey 77), Scanlon, Biancheri.
Unused subs: Heath
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