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Manchester United u18s travelled to Liverpool on Saturday morning as they returned to action after the international break.
Enjoying an experience in France during the break, Adam Lawrence’s side were fired up from the start and took the lead within the opening minute.
Jaydan Kamason clipped a ball into the right channel for captain Finley McAllister to run onto and cut back for James Scanlon to finish into the roof of the net.
United’s high press was too much for Liverpool to handle in the opening stages and the home side were unable to get out of their own half. On one such occasion, United won possession before Jacob Devaney quickly played the ball to Ethan Wheatley inside the box to turn and strike into the bottom left corner.
The goalscorer Wheatley, ran off to celebrate with a copy of Wayne Rooney’s boxing celebration, a possible nod to the last time the two teams met and Liverpool’s Luca Furnell-Gill punched Wheatley in the face.
But Wheatley delivered his blows back today with the ball as he added his second just minutes later to make it 0-3 within the opening 15 minutes. The striker picked up the ball from Devaney before skipping past one defender and rifling into the bottom corner.
Another solo effort made it 0-4 in the 25th minute, this time from Ethan Williams. The winger rode two challenges in midfield before striking from 20 yards into the left corner.
Bendito Mantato then hit the post as United were running away with it but it was actually Liverpool who would strike next to make it 1-4 going into the break. A clever through ball down the throat of United’s backline set Joe Bradshaw through to expertly dink the ball over Elyh Harrison in goal.
The home side managed to find their feet a bit and give United more of a challenge, but it wasn’t enough as United continued to run away with it in the second half.
Wheatley hit the post with a looping header before sealing his hat-trick minutes later. James Nolan played Wheatley into the box who cut back onto his right foot, sitting down the Liverpool keeper and defender in the process before rolling it into the goal.
Jack Fletcher returned from injury off the bench and immediately made an impact with a perfectly weighted pass to Scanlon on the right side to cut past the defender and finish for his second of the match.
The hat-trick hero Wheatley had departed but his replacement, Gabriele Biancheri, took up the mantle to make it 1-7 with a close range finish after Kamason’s cross. Biancheri then added his second as McAllister clipped to the back post for Louis Jackson to head back across for the youngster to slide in and finish.
Another substitute in Ashton Missin sealed the incredible victory with a finish to match the performance late on, the winger was given too much time at the edge of the box and curled beautifully into the top right corner.
A match of dominance from start to finish, Lawrence will be delighted with his young side as they look to see off Manchester City and secure the Premier League North title. Now with a 13 point lead, even City’s two games in hand leave little chance for them to catch United.
United: Harrison, Kamason, Jackson, Kingdon (J. Fletcher 59), Nolan, Devaney (Baumann 65), McAllister, Mantato, Scanlon (Missin 65), Williams, Wheatley (Biancheri 59)
Unused subs: Myles
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