FA Youth Cup semi-final: Manchester United 3 Wolves 0 - Report
Wolves’ under-18s fell at the final hurdle with defeat to Manchester United in the FA Youth Cup semi-final.
In front of more than 6,000 supporters at Old Trafford, including 741 from Wolverhampton, United took the lead after 15 minutes when a superb through ball from Isak Hansen put Charlie McNeill through on goal. The striker rounded goalkeeper Palmi Arinbjornsson before confidently slotting home into an empty net.
The hosts were dominated as Wolves struggled to make anything stick going forward, with one Nathan Fraser cross the only attacking move of note.
Just before the half-hour mark Arinbjornsson made up for his earlier error with an outstanding save. A swift United counter-attack found Alejandro Garnacho at the back post and from five yards the forward’s effort was saved.
United should have had two when Aaron Keto-Diyawa made a huge block on the line before Hansen flashed wide the rebound. Moments later, McNeill smashed a volley narrowly wide of the post.
Tyler Roberts was easily Wolves’ biggest threat but it was Fraser who almost equalised before half-time when he pounced on a defensive error and hit the post.
Following a fairly subdued start to the second half, a flowing Wolves move saw Dexter Lembikisa find Roberts 15-yards out, but he blazed his effort over the bar.
A nice pass from Kobbie Mainoo then put McNeil through on goal, but the striker shot high and wide.
United found their second goal just before the hour mark. A mistake from Kam Kandola allowed United to break, Garnacho turned inside Lembikisa and curled a lovely effort into the far corner.
Wolves had plenty of possession and pushed for a way back into the game but fell short, as McNeil found his second of the game late on with a close-range rebound following Garnacho’s saved effort.
In the end Wolves fell to the defeat on the club’s first time at this stage of the competition since 2005.
Wolves: Arinbjornsson, Lembikisa, Kandola (Farmer, 63), Tipton, Hubner, Keto-Diyawa, Birtwistle (Esen, 75), Griffiths, Fraser, Rees (Kaleta, 75), Roberts.
Subs: Storer, Mabete, Francis-Burrell, Ojinnaka.
Manchester United: Vitek, Jurado, Murray, Fredricson, Bennett, Mainoo, Mather (Oyedele, 63), Gore, McNeill, Hansen (Forson, 91), Garnacho.
Subs: Wooster, Kambwala, Pye, Hugill, Norkett.
