U18s: West Ham 2 United 2 (5-4 pens)

Manchester United’s U18 Premier League Cup campaign came to an agonising end at Rush Green on Tuesday when West Ham triumphed 5-4 on penalties, after a 2-2 draw.

The quarter-final had been an incredibly close affair. The young Reds, who are the cup holders, led early on through Tyler Fletcher before the teams traded goals either side of half-time.

Strong blocks and saves at both ends took the game to extra-time, where Will Murdock denied Hammers’ sub Andre Dike before James Scanlon hit the post.

The hosts were victorious in the shoot-out, recovering from an early miss to win in sudden death.

Early United dominance earned an 11th-minute opener, when Reece Munro got up well to flick on a right-sided Scanlon corner. It immediately looked goal-bound, but Fletcher was alive to beat any recovering defenders to the ball and ensure it nestled in at the far post.

Chances were harder to come by having established the lead, as West Ham gained a foothold in the game, but Victor Musa and Jim Thwaites did combine nicely shortly before the half-hour mark. Musa began the one-two, pushing a pass out to his left, running ahead of it and receiving the pass back inside the area. His cross-cum-shot dribbled just wide of the right post, with Scanlon just out of reach.

The hosts levelled with four minutes remaining of the first half. The lively Josh Ajala received a pass from the right-wing, dummied nicely to shift it on to his left foot, with which he struck with power. Murdock got a hand to the effort but was unable to prevent it finding the back of the net.

The Hammers took their confidence into the second period and were ahead within a blink. Ajala was central to it once more, driving forward before poking it out to Gabriel Caliste, who beat Murdock by shooting across goal.

Fletcher puts United U18s ahead Video

Fletcher puts United U18s ahead

U18s GOAL CLIP | Tyler Fletcher finishes at the far post in this quarter-final. Watch live on MUTV right now…

United’s response was good. Fletcher fed Scanlon in a central area, the Gibraltar international took only a touch before smashing it low and early past West Ham goalkeeper Lanre Awesu.

It was Murdock who had to be alive to the next chance, though, as he tipped Ajala’s effort just over the crossbar only two minutes later.

The second half’s frenetic early start diminished somewhat for a while, with Musa’s long-range shot — saved — and Thwaites’s excellent free-kick effort — off the right post — the only chances of note. But with the game edging towards a draw and extra-time, United took things up a notch. Scanlon saw his effort palmed into the air before Fitzgerald tried to pounce on the loose ball. He did, but his effort was also blocked, up and on to the roof of the net.

Two minutes later, Fitzgerald had another chance, driving forward on the counter-attack, only to be brought down cleanly with an impressive last-ditch challenge to prevent him shooting at Awesu’s goal.

At the other end, Murdock came up big in the final minute of injury time to keep United in the competition, denying Ajala when one-on-one.

After a quiet and even first 15 minutes of extra-time, Murdock made another important save to deny Dike, pushing his shot wide for a corner, which came to nothing. Dike later shot just wide of the right post when through against Murdock once more.

United took first with Jim Thwaites striking with enough quality to beat Awesu, who had dived the right way. That established an immediate advantage, which was extended when Elisha Sowunmi hit West Ham’s opening effort wide of the right post. Scanlon and Ajala, goalscorers in normal time, converted calmly next, and then Fitzgerald and Golambeckis.

Musa’s stuttered run-up couldn’t deceive Awesu, who denied him, and Adiele brought it level for West Ham. Fletcher and Hargan’s converted spot-kicks took the shoot-out to sudden death, where Louie Bradbury missed to allow Chinaza Nwosu to net the winning penalty for the hosts.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Murdock; Kamason, Mills (Armer 90), Munro (c), Kukonki (Plunkett 90); T. Fletcher, Fitzgerald; Scanlon, Thwaites, Bailey (Bradbury 99); Musa.

Unused subs: Byrne-Hughes, Shah.

Goals: Fletcher 11, Scanlon 50 | Ajala 41, Celiste 46.

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