03/09/2011 12:30, Report by Adam Marshall.U18: United 3 Leeds 1
United's Under-18s kickstarted their season with a 3-1 victory over Leeds at Carrington to get three points on the board in the Premier Academy League.
Tom Lawrence scored twice, including a penalty, and Jack Barmby wrapped things up in the closing stages after the visitors competed well throughout. Welshman Lawrence took only a couple of minutes to break through, profiting from some aggressive play by Barmby to set up a left-footed finish with a lovely piece of skill.
A similar piece of individual magic led to Lawrence firing over the top and Ezekiel Fryers went closer when smacking the bar with a curling shot following Luke McCullough's neat backheel. Sam Byrne had a goal harshly ruled out and United were stunned when Lewis Turner's shot out of nowhere from the left flank beat Joe Coll at his near post for the equaliser.
Eric Grimes kept out James Weir and Byrne but the keeper had to face a penalty on the hour mark after more neat footwork from Lawrence drew a reckless tackle out of Conor Qualter. Lawrence dusted himself down to calmly beat the young Irish keeper from the spot for 2-1.
The outstanding Lawrence was unlucky with attempts to grab his hat-trick and Gyliano van Velzen deflected a precise Tyler Blackett cross over the bar before Barmby made sure of the points when a corner routine involving Lawrence and Joe Rothwell opened up the defence and the forward, watched by father Nick in the stands, despatched a firm finish.
United: Coll; Hendrie, Fryers, McCullough, Blackett; Barmby, Lawrence, Weir, Rothwell, van Velzen; Byrne. Subs: McNair, Jacob, Dalley, Rowley, Gorre
From Official site