United's U18's got back to winning ways and the Compton Park Campus this morning with a solid 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Lining up in the away strip of white shirts and blue shorts, the reds welcomed back Davide Petruuci, Joe Dudgeon, Robbie Brady and Joshua King.
Petrucci has been away on international duty with Italy while Dudgeon was fit again after a knee operation had sidelined him for six weeks. Both were named in the starting eleven while Brady who had been nursing a slight knock and King who had recovered from an ankle injury were on the substututes bench.
United lined up with a 4:5:1 formation with Dudgeon at left back, Reece Brown at right back and Wootton and Strickland in the middle. After playing fullback himself in recent games it was good to see Keeny Strickland back in his customary role.
A five man midfield saw United play with two wingers, Curran on the right and Stewart on the left, allowing Petrucci, Norwood and Tunnicliffe to run the midfield. Matty James was named on the bench given his full 90 minutes in the reserves last Wednesday.
Evandro Brandao was the lone striker, while Macheda was also named on the bench as he had played against Bolton Reserves in midweek too.
United started the stronger team and as usual tried to take control by playing good passing football through the Wolverhampton midfield. To be fair it was a relatively even game with both Wootton and Strickland strong in defence and our midfield giving very little away. Then on 35 minutes Ollie Norwood stepped up to take a free kick and in typical Beckhamesque fashion, curled a wonderful strike past the keeper to give United the lead.
It stayed 1-0 until half time.
In the second half the Midlands outfit became increasingly more frustrated and as a consequence the game became more physical. Paul McGuinness brought on Matty James for Curran on the hour in a bid to give our midfield a little more bite. It certainly had an impact as Norwood and James started to boss the central areas. With a little over 20 minutes remaining, Brady replaced Stewart and King replaced Brandao. Both had a good workout in their cameo's but the game had turned into a deadlock with both midfields and defences giving very little away. With a few minutes remaining, Norwood had a chance to to get his, and United's, second when he took a free-kick just outside the box. However, his shot whistled past the post - another super freekick but just wide.
In the end United just about deserved the victory as we had played the more more open, adventurous football.
Final score: Wolves 0 Man Utd 1
Team:
1. Woods
2. Brown
3. Dudgeon
4. Strickland
5. Wootton
6. Norwood
7. Curran
8. Tunnicliffe
9. Brandao
10. Petrucci
11. Stewart
12. Gill
13.
14. Brady (11) 68
15. Macheda
16. King (9) 68
17. James (7) 60
Lining up in the away strip of white shirts and blue shorts, the reds welcomed back Davide Petruuci, Joe Dudgeon, Robbie Brady and Joshua King.
Petrucci has been away on international duty with Italy while Dudgeon was fit again after a knee operation had sidelined him for six weeks. Both were named in the starting eleven while Brady who had been nursing a slight knock and King who had recovered from an ankle injury were on the substututes bench.
United lined up with a 4:5:1 formation with Dudgeon at left back, Reece Brown at right back and Wootton and Strickland in the middle. After playing fullback himself in recent games it was good to see Keeny Strickland back in his customary role.
A five man midfield saw United play with two wingers, Curran on the right and Stewart on the left, allowing Petrucci, Norwood and Tunnicliffe to run the midfield. Matty James was named on the bench given his full 90 minutes in the reserves last Wednesday.
Evandro Brandao was the lone striker, while Macheda was also named on the bench as he had played against Bolton Reserves in midweek too.
United started the stronger team and as usual tried to take control by playing good passing football through the Wolverhampton midfield. To be fair it was a relatively even game with both Wootton and Strickland strong in defence and our midfield giving very little away. Then on 35 minutes Ollie Norwood stepped up to take a free kick and in typical Beckhamesque fashion, curled a wonderful strike past the keeper to give United the lead.
It stayed 1-0 until half time.
In the second half the Midlands outfit became increasingly more frustrated and as a consequence the game became more physical. Paul McGuinness brought on Matty James for Curran on the hour in a bid to give our midfield a little more bite. It certainly had an impact as Norwood and James started to boss the central areas. With a little over 20 minutes remaining, Brady replaced Stewart and King replaced Brandao. Both had a good workout in their cameo's but the game had turned into a deadlock with both midfields and defences giving very little away. With a few minutes remaining, Norwood had a chance to to get his, and United's, second when he took a free-kick just outside the box. However, his shot whistled past the post - another super freekick but just wide.
In the end United just about deserved the victory as we had played the more more open, adventurous football.
Final score: Wolves 0 Man Utd 1
Team:
1. Woods
2. Brown
3. Dudgeon
4. Strickland
5. Wootton
6. Norwood
7. Curran
8. Tunnicliffe
9. Brandao
10. Petrucci
11. Stewart
12. Gill
13.
14. Brady (11) 68
15. Macheda
16. King (9) 68
17. James (7) 60
