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Manchester United u18s resumed league action following the international break on Saturday morning with a visit to Newcastle United.
Opening the season with wins over Manchester City and Liverpool already, Adam Lawrence’s side were looking to continue their perfect start to their title defence.
United started strongly, with James Scanlon forcing an early save from the Newcastle keeper to deny his placed shot headed towards the bottom right corner.
In the 17th minute, Bendito Mantato was brought down to earn United a shot from the penalty spot. Gabriele Biancheri stepped up to take but the United striker in hot form had his shot stopped by Tyler Jones before finishing off his own rebound.
Ten minutes later, Biancheri added his second of the match and already his seventh for the season in only five appearances. In his typical fox in the box fashion, the 17 year old expertly slotted home from inside the area.
A minute later Scanlon came within inches of making it three when his attempt crashed off the right post.
Scanlon made no mistake just before the half time break though, finishing into the bottom left corner to make it 0-3 going into the second half. It was a goal which came a week on from his first senior international goal for Gibraltar, which came against Lichtenstein.
Into the second half, Newcastle pulled one back through Guy Bloomer. It was a nice birthday gift for the winger, who turned 17 two days prior.
But it wasn’t all good for Bloomer as he fouled Scanlon shortly after to give United their second penalty of the match. Substitute Amir Ibragimov stepped up this time and smashed the ball into the top right corner for his first ever goal at u18s level.
It was all United on the day and the three points were fully secured late on when Jim Thwaites added the fifth with a close range finish from the right side of the six yard box.
The win sees United move into second place with three wins from three and looking firm favourites to retain their Premier League North crown.
While the goods are being produced on the pitch though, United fans continued to be displeased with the lack of coverage for the famed academy.
Two weeks on from the club insisting “they remain committed to covering the youth system”, they have yet to acknowledge Lawrence’s side’s thumping victory over Newcastle at the time of writing, 18 hours after the match.
Clashing with the first team, MUTV prioritised coverage for the first team’s win over Southampton, but instead of providing delayed coverage of the u18s, it has been radio silent. United’s social media made no mention of the match and the club’s app has yet to show a match replay or even any highlights, with just a three paragraph report appearing.
United continue their league defence next week away to Middlesbrough but it looks set to be yet another fixture that academy followers will be left in the dark on as it remains absent from the MUTV schedule.
United: Murdock, Kamason, Fitzgerald, Armer, Kukonki (Plunkett 69), Devaney (Ibragimov 62), T. Fletcher, Mantato, Baumann (Bailey 69), Scanlon, Biancheri (Thwaites 62)
Unused subs: Heath
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