Match report: Noah Ajayi returns with a bang for Man United U18s to secure three points | OneFootball

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Manchester United U18s travelled to the North East on Saturday afternoon to take on Newcastle United U18s.

Heading into the match, Newcastle had won four out of four and were sure to be a tough test for Darren Fletcher’s side, who have been in scintillating form.

United were on a three-match winning streak of their own, with a combined score of 11-0.

First half

Both sides felt each other out in the opening stages, with neither team committing forward, leaving little space for openings in attack. United’s first chance came through a long-range effort from Jaume Camacho, but George Mair saved comfortably enough.

As the half went on, the young Red Devils began to take more control of possession and pin Newcastle back. Emmanuel Ziro thought he had created the match’s opening goal when his cross picked out Camacho rising in the area to head down, but a top save from Mair denied the Spaniard again.

Jacob Watson and Edson Dejonge-Seiros combined well down the left wing before finding Camron Mpofu in the area, but a poor first touch from the Scottish youth international saw the chance go begging.

Just a minute later, Jay McEvoy intercepted Newcastle’s clearing ball into midfield before Camacho slipped through Dejonge-Seiros running into the left channel to finish first time into the far right corner.

The half-time whistle came with Newcastle having yet to register a shot on Charlie Hardy’s goal.

Second half

With the wind behind them in the second half, Newcastle were able to push further up the pitch and get out of their own half, but still did little to threaten Hardy, with one of their best efforts coming from Mair at the opposite end of the pitch.

The Newcastle keeper booted the ball the length of the pitch a number of times in the second half with the assistance of the wind, and on one occasion it sent Hardy scrambling back towards his goal before diving to catch the ball.

United were bolstered in the second half by the introduction of Noah Ajayi as he continues his return from injury, after also featuring off the bench midweek in United’s opening UEFA Youth League tie. Ajayi’s directness added an extra layer of penetration in United’s attack as he danced between four defenders, but his shot was blocked in the end.

In the 90th minute, Ajayi drove through the middle and shaped up to shoot before driving between two defenders and dinking the ball over the keeper to seal a 2-0 victory and continue United’s winning streak.

United are back in action next Saturday when they play host to Wolves, their last match before the international break.

Match facts

United: Hardy, Helafu (Carrick 65), Ngwashi, Laurie, J. Watson (O’Brien 76), McEvoy (C), Shah, Ziro (Brown 76), Camacho, Dejonge-Seiros (Ajayi 65), Mpofu

Unused subs: Z. Watson, Emsden-James, McLaughlin

Goals: Dejonge-Seiros 36, Ajayi 90