Academy Match report: Manchester United u21s 2-2 Leicester City u21s – Man United News And Transfer News

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Manchester United u21s hosted Leicester City for a lunch time kick off at Carrington for their final match of the season.

Among the starting XI for United was Kelly N’Mai, a 19 year old winger on trial from Salford City.

Just minutes into the match, Noam Emeran’s cross bounced across the six yard box and N’Mai was coming in at the back post, but the trialist couldn’t quite reach the ball for the finish.

Up the other end Leicester’s Wanya Marçal-Madivadua dribbled through Teden Mengi‘s challenge and shot past Radek Vitek, but Marc Jurado was back on the line to head clear.

On a day of crazy weather, in the 16th minute Vitek’s clearance was held up in the air by the strong winds and fell to Tawanda Maswanhise who shook off Jurado and struck to the far post, forcing a stretched save from Vitek to tip it around the post.

Most of United’s attacking threat was coming down the right side through Emeran and the Frenchman delivered another whipped low ball that flashed across the box just out of reach of Joe Hugill and N’Mai.

Leicester’s Maswanhise came close with a curling free kick over the wall towards bottom left corner that was pushed out by Vitek.

The wind and sun turned into torrential rain but the conditions didn’t stop a lovely bit of play between Jurado and Maxi Oyedele, with the midfielder clipping the ball over the defender to the overlapping Jurado, whose cross was cleared at the back post out for a corner.

From the resulting corner, Willy Kambwala found himself unmarked just six yards out, but the centre back’s mishit jumping volley cushioned the ball up and over onto top of net.

Emeran gave United the lead in the 37th minute, cutting inside and curling the ball just inside the far post past the keeper.

Noam Emeran peach of a goal to open the scoring for United’s u21s v Leicester #MUFC #MUAcademy #PL2 #ThePeoplesPerson pic.twitter.com/bJuEXyrmhQ

— Manchester United Academy (@RedYouthUnited) May 5, 2023

Emeran was looking for a second before the break when he drove into box from the right side and shot from a tight angle which the keeper parried out.

The tides turned early in the second half though when Willy Kambwala was shown a second yellow card after accidentally taking down Maswanhise with the slightest of contact on the left wing.

The man advantage gave Leicester the upper hand and they took advantage within ten minutes to level it up. Maswanhise ran past Jurado to the byline before cutting back for the wide open Marçal-Madivadua at the back post, whose first effort was blocked by Sam Murray, but he hit the back of the net with the second go.

Eight minutes later and Leicester took the lead through Lewis Brunt’s free kick on the edge of the box. Question marks about Vitek’s position as the Leicester skipper slotted in keeper side of the wall.

Things were going from bad to worse when in the 70th minute Sam Murray bundled into Wormleighton inside the box to concede a penalty. Brunt stepped up looking for his second but Vitek made a huge save down to his left and then another to deny Amani Richards on the rebound, to keep United in it.

Holding on until the 83rd minute, Emeran picked out the top right corner with a free kick of his own to bring it back to 2-2.

Noam Emerson’s perfectly placed free kick to secure the point at home to Leicester in the u21s final match of the season. #MUFC #MUAcademy #PL2 #ThePeoplesPerson pic.twitter.com/kSqPpKKKcS

— Manchester United Academy (@RedYouthUnited) May 5, 2023

Into injury time, one last chance came from Emeran’s cross from the right that was cutback to Dan Gore from 14 yards but a big block from the Leicester defender ensured it ended all square.

With their season now over, United’s u21s are left in 9th place with West Ham potentially passing ahead of them with their one match remaining.

United: Vitek, Jurado, Kambwala, Mengi, Hardley, Wellens (Forson 60), Oyedele (Gore 60), Emeran, Iqbal, N’Mai (Murray 50), Hugill

Unused subs: Mee, Collyer