Bolton
Wanderers Reserves 0-3
Manchester
United Reserves -
-
Macheda
45+2 -
-
Hewson
53 -
-
Cleverley
65
In hindsight, United’s reserve side probably couldn’t have
hand-picked a better fixture in which to make amends for last
week’s defeat against Wigan. The Reds had picked up five wins and
two draws from their previous seven trips to the County Ground to
play Bolton (as well as lifting the Lancashire Senior Cup at the
same ground in July of this year) and, after a scrappy first-half
had ended with Kiko Macheda putting United ahead, they never looked
in any danger of having that unbeaten streak ended. Further goals
from Sam Hewson and Tom Cleverley in a massively one-sided second
half ensured a first league win of the campaign for Ole Gunnar
Solskjaer’s side.
As mentioned
in the preview, a spate of injuries and
international call-ups forced Solskjaer to make several changes and
name a youthful-looking side. U18 regulars Macheda, Matty James,
Cameron Stewart (a first reserve league start) and Oliver Gill
(making his reserves debut) were all included in the starting
eleven, while the bench was fully comprised of their Academy peers.
Elsewhere, Tomasz Kuszczak returned from injury in goal and the
lack of a first-team match this week saw the (presumably temporary)
return of Rafael da Silva to reserve level.
The less said about the first 45 minutes the better, frankly. To
use a terrible cliché, the first half was all perspiration and no
inspiration, with the hectic nature of the game not lending itself
to attractive or productive football. Both sides had just the one
real chance each, Macheda firing straight at keeper Lainton after a
neat one-two with Hewson while Kuszczak and Richard Eckersley
combined to foil Obadeyi and Woolfe down the other end.
Solskjaer and his assistant Warren Joyce will have been
preparing a stern team-talk and possible changes when a moment of
fortune decisively changed the game seconds before the break. Jimmy
Derbyshire, employed in an unfamiliar left-sided midfield role, cut
inside onto his favoured right foot and let fly from 25 yards. His
strike may well have troubled Lainton anyway but took a wicked
deflection off Trotters centre-half Stokes, time seemingly then
standing still as it looped goalwards and hit the post. Goalkeeper
and defence looked on dumbstruck but Macheda reacted as all good
centre-forwards should, comfortably getting to the rebound first
and showing great composure to side-foot the ball past the
recovering keeper to register his first reserve goal of the
season.
The content of the half-time team-talk probably didn’t change
much but the mood and confidence of the team improved
significantly. An early scare when a Ricardo Vaz Te effort spun
narrowly wide aside, the second half saw this United reserve side
at its best - fluent, creative, quick to attack and absolutely
dominant with possession. The second goal didn’t take long to come,
Macheda again at the heart of things as his pinpoint left-wing
cross was flicked on by James and then instantly controlled by
Hewson before the Bolton-born United midfielder rifled home.
Tom Cleverley - 4 in 3 games at the County Ground
The result was in no doubt at all at that point but a clinching
third followed just over ten minutes later, definitely the goal of
the game. A slick passing move involving Derbyshire, Rafael and
Macheda eventually saw the ball worked to Cleverley 25 yards out,
who curled a sublime effort past the motionless Lainton.
Cleverley’s only two previous reserve league goals had come in this
fixture last season while the midfielder was also on the scoresheet
in that LSC Final win over Liverpool in July - there’s clearly
something about the County Ground that agrees with him!
Further goals could and probably should have followed. Rafael
could easily have had a penalty, Oliver Norwood (on as sub) came
close to capping a sensational passing move involving practically
the whole side with a curling left-footed strike which dipped just
over the bar, and David Gray headed straight at the keeper after
another James flick-on. No matter - three goals was enough to
secure a very welcome first win of the campaign.
More pleasing than the three points to Solskjaer and Joyce will
be the performance. OGS praised the effort and work-rate of his
team in his post-match interview, also speaking in glowing tones
about the second-half showing as the Reds took control. Ole didn’t
want to single out individuals for praise and after such a good
team performance I’m loathe to as well, but what the hell…
Macheda produced his best performance of the season so far,
despite being somewhat starved of service in the first half. The
Italian linked play intelligently, worked hard as the lone striker
and took his goal coolly. Tom Cleverley and Sam Hewson looked much
more like the players we know they can be, while Matty James was
typically unfazed by stepping up a level, perhaps even
overshadowing his more experienced midfield colleagues.
Everyone’s interested in how Rafael’s doing so it would be
remiss not to mention the young Brazilian. He had one of his
quieter games but was extremely solid defensively and got more and
more involved going forward as the game wore on and United’s
confidence grew. His defensive colleagues deserve praise,
‘makeshift’ centre-halves Gray and Eckersley dealing relatively
comfortably with the very real threat posed by Vaz Te while Oliver
Gill, after a bit of a mare for the Academy at the weekend, looked
far more at home at a higher level - no mean feat.
UNITED
1. Tomasz Kuszczak
2. Rafael da Silva
3. Richard Eckersley
4. David Gray
5. Oliver Gill
6. Matty James
7. Cameron Stewart (12. Oliver Norwood 71)
8. Tom Cleverley
9. Federico Macheda (16. Antonio Bryan 78)
10. Sam Hewson
11. Jimmy Derbyshire (14. Scott Wootton 78)
Subs not
used
13. Gary Woods
15. Evandro Brandão
Booked: Hewson
http://manunitedyouth.wordpress.com/2008/10/08/second-string-up-and-running-after-convincing-win/