U21s match report Manchester United v West Ham 29 November 2024

Friday 29 November 2024 21:02

An injury-time free-kick from Ethan Ennis secured home victory for Manchester United's U21s against West Ham after a tight contest at Leigh Sports Village.

Both sides had several chances - as well as a disallowed goal each in the first half - but neither could convert in the 90 minutes, leaving Ennis to take centre-stage with a fine set-piece effort that earned the young Reds three points. United's record now reads five wins and four defeats from the opening nine fixtures.

Travis Binnion's side are next in action on Tuesday night, facing Rochdale at Spotland in our third National League Cup match. The young Reds have won the previous two, 3-2 at Forest Green Rovers and 4-0 at Altrincham.

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Starting with a three-man defence supplemented by wing-backs Harry Amass and Jaydan Kamason, United contained West Ham well for the most part in an even first half. The Irons’ striker Ajala did convert powerfully past Dermot Mee on one occasion, but from an offside position, while the Northern Irish goalkeeper watched one first-time long-range effort from Akpata sail wide of the right post and comfortably saved another two minutes later.

Ethan Wheatley also had a goal ruled out for offside, having acrobatically turned home from a Sam Murray flick-on off Amass’ right-sided corner. Shortly before the break, Wheatley watched a right-footed effort deflected fortunately into the goalkeeper’s hands. Ethan Ennis, hat-trick scorer in the side’s previous game, a 4-0 National League Cup triumph at Altrincham, couldn’t generate enough power on a late curling shot inside the area. Herrick saved with ease.

The final two minutes of the opening 45 provided a couple of chances apiece, as the game developed an end-to-end nature. Mee denied Adiele impressively after a bursting left-wing run, and then rushed out to prevent another opportunity soon after. At the other end, United couldn’t quite find the final ball required to truly test Herrick.

Dan Gore and Murray, both recently returned from injury, were replaced at the break by Jacob Devaney and Jack Moorhouse, and United nearly led within a minute of the restart. Malachi Sharpe burst inside from the right flank to cross but Wheatley couldn't redirect his team-mate’s effort goalwards.

The visitors’ Moore forced Mee down to the right post to save after a quick turn-and-shoot on the area’s edge, but the second half featured just as few clear-cut chances as the first until one Irons’ shot struck Mee’s post — to be eventually cleared — to spark things into life.

United attacked with greater intensity, with Ennis’s driving diagonal run ending in a decent right-footed strike which Herrick palmed away for a corner. From the set-piece, player-coach Tommy Rowe headed just wide of the right post. At the other end, a counter-attacking West Ham crossed threateningly for Moore, but the visiting winger’s attempt was tame enough for Mee to catch. Another counter saw another Moore effort blocked well by captain Louis Jackson, before Wheatley turned into space on the edge of West Ham’s area and curled one towards the bottom right corner. Herrick was equal to it.

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With the game headed for a draw - which would have been the first of the season for both teams - Ennis converted an excellent free-kick in injury time, curling beautifully with his right foot into the bottom right corner.

West Ham thought they'd equalised from their own set piece two minutes later, but the goal was disallowed for a foul, enabling United to see the game out and wrap up the three points.

MATCH DETAILS

United XI: Mee; Kamason, Jackson (c), Kingdon, Murray (Devaney 46), Amass (Missin 64), Sharpe (Biancheri 80), Rowe, Gore (Moorhouse 46), Ennis, Wheatley.

Unused subs: Myles.

Goal: Ennis 90+3.

Booked: Gore, Kingdon, Devaney.

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