U21s Report: Leeds United 3-0 Birmingham City | OneFootball

Premier League Cup

Leeds United U21 3 (Monteiro 35’, Douglas 58’, Gray 74’)

Birmingham City U21 0

Leeds: Ombang (GK), Richards, Ferguson, Monteiro, Lopata-White, Moore, McFadden (Chadwick 59’), Cresswell (C) (Pickles 46’), Trialist (Gray 59’), Coleman, Douglas (McDonald 74’). Subs not used: Kenyon (GK).

Birmingham: Mayo (GK), Pendleton (C), Mazwi, Dodd, Boakye, Home, Donovan (Ruiz-Rente 79’), Chang (Wynne 70’), Bateman, Betteka (Tattum 66’), Isichei. Subs not used: O’Sullivan, Pergelov.

Venue: LNER Community Stadium

Referee: Declan Brown

Booked: Douglas, McDonald (Leeds) Mazwi (Birmingham)

Leeds United Under-21s rounded off their Premier League Cup Group Stage campaign with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Birmingham City Under-21s, and now wait on other results to see if they have secured passage through to the quarter-finals.

An emphatic finish from Diogo Monteiro put the Whites into a first-half lead, before goals from Connor Douglas and Harry Gray sealed the victory after the break, leaving Leeds with seven points in Group H.

The hosts started brightly on the evening in York, pressing the visitors intently from the off and looking to spring in behind early on.

One of those incisive passes found the run of Joe Richards inside the area on the right. The full-back cut an inviting ball into the middle looking for an onrushing Leeds shirt, eventually falling the way of Connor Ferguson at the back post who drew a superb close-range save from Brad Mayo.

The intensity from Scott Gardner’s side then saw United win the ball deep inside the Blues’ half and Cian Coleman would have latched onto skipper Alfie Cresswell’s delivery, had Byron Pendleton not averted the danger well for Birmingham.

Despite the mounting pressure, the visitors sent a timely reminder of the threat they posed on the break as Zaid Betteka crossed dangerously for Briar Bateman, with the striker seeing a well struck effort blocked brilliantly by Reuben Lopata-White inside the area.

Racing down the other end, a pinged diagonal pass from Cresswell picked out the run of the Whites’ trialist forward who brought it down well, marauding forward before testing Mayo from distance.

Approaching the half hour mark, the tie’s first clear cut chance presented itself when Daniel Isichei profited on a mistake at the back from Leeds and raced through on goal, but a sublime sprawling save from Darryl Ombang smothered the opportunity and the hosts survived.

Sublime feet from Coleman then worked space for the midfielder deep into Birmingham territory, forcing a great reaction stop from Mayo, with the Blues’ keeper then scampering across the face of goal to somehow tip Max McFadden’s rebound past the post.

Leeds deservedly got their rewards 10 minutes before the break, when Monteiro found himself in uncharted territory, rounding off an electric move with a predatory finish from close range!

Coleman, superbly, had found the run of United’s trialist forward in behind the Blues’ backline, squaring it for the onrushing defender who needed no invitation to emphatically lash home.

Moments later, Monteiro almost had a second! McFadden’s drilled corner picked out the centre-half in space, only for the diving Mayo to punch the goalbound header clear.

The Blues stopper’s services were again called upon before the half time whistle sounded, parrying a strike from the trialist striker after he was played through by the busy Coleman.

HALF TIME: Leeds United U21 1-0 Birmingham City U21

A first change at the break brought Oliver Pickles into the action in the heart of midfield, replacing skipper Cresswell for the second period.

Immediately involved, the Whites went close from the off. The ball was worked well down the left flank and eventually fell the way of Ferguson though, under pressure, the full-back dragged wide of the upright.

The defender’s next sight of goal came even closer, glancing the outside of the post with a fierce drive from distance. That opportunity had come after two great blocks from Kris Moore as Leeds initially defended a Birmingham attack well, before breaking at pace over half way through Douglas.

Douglas would be involved moments later and this time the lead would be doubled, as the forward was well placed to tap home Coleman’s pass into an empty net.

The midfielder had been picked out in space on the left, darting into the area and unselfishly squaring to his teammate to fire in a second!

A change in personnel from the visitors saw Frank Tattum join the action as the Blues searched for a lifeline, and a sublime recovering challenge from Lopata-White prevented the attacker from halving the deficit, diverting an effort over the crossbar.

Having created two goals for his side, Coleman then went close to getting on the scoresheet himself, forcing a good save from Mayo after latching onto Pickles’ well-weighted pass.

There looked to be little on when Gray, recently introduced by Gardner, collected possession on the right flank with little over 15 minutes of time remaining. But with a skilful turn and a burst of pace, the forward surged into the area.

The striker skipped past blue shirts and inventively found the bottom corner with the outside of his right boot to extend United’s lead!

Three would have became four seconds later if not for a magnificent double save from Mayo, initially tipping a Pickles effort that seemed destined to arrow into the top corner onto the bar, before reacting quickly to deny Gray’s follow up opportunity.

The result lifts Leeds up to second in the standings after six matches played, with the Whites now having to wait for other results to see if they will progress to the knockout stages.

FULL TIME: Leeds United U21 3-0 Birmingham City U21