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Tuesday 21 January 2025 20:50
Manchester United Under-21s’ Premier League International Cup campaign ended in defeat at Altrincham on Tuesday night, despite a late resurgence from Travis Binnion’s young side against Danish visitors FC Nordsjaelland.
The away side were inspired by goals in either half from the highly rated Levy Nene, who has 10 senior appearances in the Danish Superliga this season. United rallied late on as Chido Obi finished following a delightful deep through-ball from substitute Finley McAllister, but couldn’t find the additional goals to draw level.
United’s record in the competition this season thus reads two draws and two defeats, while FC Nordsjaelland have a strong chance of progressing thanks to their 100% record from three fixtures.
Despite no chance of progression, United showed good early intensity in our pressing and forward runs, but it was the visiting Danes with a string of chances in front of Tom Myles’ goal.
Binnion’s youngsters successfully played out from the back on several occasions, but Nordsjaelland’s pressure eventually paid off handsomely. Myles first denied Mohammed Araphat’s edge-of-the-box strike, then watched a teasing delivery by Juho Lahteenmaki float untouched across his goal. Also shooting wide after winning the ball back high up was Levy Nene, the lively number nine with ten senior appearances in this season’s Danish Superliga.
Myles came rushing out to deny Nene twice more before Nordsjaelland latched onto a loose pass from Habeeb Ogunneye and capitalised. Nene shot first, only for Godwill Kukonki to clear his effort off the line. Araphat pounced on the loose ball and finished.
Nordsjaelland doubled their lead in similar circumstances within 90 seconds, with Nene this time finishing after another high interception.
United reacted well to the double blow, with Chido Obi — making his second start at U21 level — driving forward after Ruben Curley initiated a counter-attack. Obi generated space to shoot and struck fiercely, but his effort rebounded back off the crossbar.
Right-winger Ashton Missin soon led another counter, beating his man well and crossing to force Nordsjaelland to clear. A left-footed attempt from Obi soon followed, softer this time, but accurate. William Lykke prevented it from rolling into the bottom right corner.
Nordsjaelland had one further opportunity before the break, this time coming from a nicely worked move rather than a United error. Villum Berthelsen shot wide of the left post after Nene’s tee up.
Where many felt the next goal could turn the game in one direction or the other, Nordsjaelland found it, as Nene scored from a corner just six minutes into the second period.
The Malian striker sought his hat-trick when shooting direct from a free-kick soon after, but his over the crossbar.
A triple United substitution brought bright moments from Amir Ibragimov — who netted his first U21s goal on this ground back in November — and some good attacks. But the game’s rhythm was disrupted when Ashton Missin was stretchered off after a muscle injury 70 minutes in.
Finley McAllister, introduced an hour in, played an excellent through-ball from defence which split the entire visiting team and allowed Obi to run at Lykke in the Nordsjaelland goal. He finished well when one-on-one to give United a foothold in the game. Minutes later, with United buoyant, he couldn’t quite connect with a left-wing cross from Harry Amass.
Amass fed Obi once more to leave the 17-year-old forward one-on-one with Lykke again, but he was adjudged to have fouled Nordsjaelland’s more senior captain Erik Marxen. United were unable to find more clear-cut chances before the game’s end.
MATCH DETAILS
United: Myles; Ogunneye, Jackson (c), Kukonki (Kingdon 45), Amass; Kone (McAllister 62), Moorhouse (Ibragimov 62); Missin (Sharpe 70), Curley (Fitzgerald 62), Mather; Obi.
Unused subs: Murdock; Kamason.
Goals: Araphat 28, Nene 30, 51.
Attendance: 334.
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Tuesday 21 January 2025 20:50
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