Callum Osmand scored the only goal of the game as Fulham’s under 21s edged out Manchester United at Leigh Sports Village this evening with a composed away display.
The Welsh youth international, returning to Hayden Mullins’ starting line-up after suspension, powered a finish beyond home goalkeeper Will Murdock ten minutes into the second half to end United’s run of five wins in a row in the PL2. The visitors defended diligently and might have increased their lead with Terrell Works and Tom Olyott seeing goals ruled out for offside.
The hosts had the better of a cagey opening but their clearest opportunity saw Victor Musa’s speculative shot bravely blocked by Eddy Nsasi. Operating on the counter-attack, Fulham’s first sight of goal came when Lemar Gordon burst forward and found Terrell Works but the winger’s swerving shot was well held by Murdock. Gordon’s deflected cross nearly caught out the United goalkeeper before Reece Munro’s clearing header came close to looping into his own goal.
Mullins has encouraged his young charges to be as brave on the ball as Marco Silva’s first team but the laudable ambitions of Chibby Nwoko and Nsasi almost proved to be Fulham’s undoing when the pair presented a glorious chance for James Scanlon, but Michael Allen gathered the winger’s audacious attempt.
Osmand first threatened when he collected a forward pass from Sam Amissah and surged past Munro before missing the target with his finish after drifting in from the right onto his left foot. The forward then teed up midfielder Chris Donnell but Murdock did well to push away the Australian youth international’s sweetly-struck shot.
Osmand did get on the scoresheet after half time when he latched onto a lovely ball from Gordon and fired clinically past an exposed Murdoch. Fulham had chances to increase their advantage when the goalscorer again set up Donnell, but the Fulham captain’s poor touch allowed Murdock to nip in and take the ball off his toes.
Ollie Gofford, who has been a revelation at right back in the second half of this season, fired wide from the edge of the area and then looked to have provided a peach of a cross for Works to double the lead, but the assistant referee’s flag cut short Fulham’s celebrations. United did come forward in search of an equaliser, but the Red Devils pressure was never really fierce. Allen adjusted well to keep out a drive from Jaydan Kamason that deflected off Brad de Jesus, but it was Osmand who spurned a great chance to wrap up all three points after Olyott had also been thwarted an offside flag. The forward fired wastefully wide when clean through on Murdock’s goal – but his earlier effort meant that miss proved purely academic.
MANCHESTER UNITED UNDER 21s (4-3-3): Murdock; Ogunneye, Murray, Munro, Heaven (Fredricson 45); McAllister, Thwaites (Kamason 65), Rowe; Sharpe, Scanlon, Musa (Biancheri 72). Subs (not used): Myles, Bailey.
Our U21s are next in action on Friday evening, with Everton visiting Motspur Park, 7pm kick-off.
Manchester United U21: Murdock, Ogunneye, Heaven (Fredricson 45′), Munro, Murray, Rowe, Thwaites (Kamason 65′), McAllister, Sharpe, Musa (Biancheri 72′), Scanlon
BOOKED:Â Rowe, Heaven.
FULHAM UNDER 21s (4-2-3-1):Â Allen; Gofford, de Jesus, Nsasi, Amissah; Nwoko, Donnell; Gordon, Works (Olyott 83), Lanquedoc (Picotto 83), Osmand. Subs (not used): Underwood, Park, Wingate.
BOOKED: Osmand, Allen.
GOAL: Osmand (55).
REFEREE: Niall Smith.
ATTENDANCE: 563.
