There were several standout players for Manchester United despite their FA Youth Cup exit after defeat to Aston Villa on penalties.
Manchester United’s under-18s side have been a dominant force once again this season and headed into this semi-final tie against Aston Villa as the favourites.
However, a spanner was put into the works in the opening minutes of the game when Trai-Varn Mulley pounced on a loose ball from a free-kick to put the hosts into the lead at Villa Park.
Adam Lawrence’s side responded well, dominating the ball and eventually finding the equaliser just before the half-an-hour mark through James Scanlon.
The Gibraltar international was the fasted to react to Tyler Fletcher’s pass across the box and fired home confidently to level the scoring.
United’s youngsters continued to dominant proceedings but were frustrated by Villa’s defensive unit, who also threatened on the break.
The second half was very stop-start, much to the liking of the hosts, and the game fizzled out into 30 minutes of extra-time.
It was Villa who looked most likely to score the winner in the first-half of extra-time but they were unable to take advantage of their chances and the game eventually went to penalties, where Villa came out victorious.
Tyler Fletcher
Much of the attention within the fanbase has been on Jack Fletcher, son of United legend Darren, but it was his twin brother Tyler who stood out in this encounter.
The right-footed midfielder (the main way to tell the difference between him and his left-footed brother) worked very well to get on the end of a dinked pass in the penalty area and poke the ball into Scanlon’s path for United’s goal.
He showcased some good attacking play but then moved deeper when Jacob Devaney was substituted and excelled in conducting the play for United.
The teenager was replaced before the game headed into the second half of extra-time after running himself into the ground over the course of the clash.
Godwill Kunkoki
Godwill Kukonki has spent some time with United’s first-team squad under Ruben Amorim this season and is a versatile defender. He played at left-back in this game.
The 17-year-old showcased a solid mixture of physical and technical qualities. He can drive into space with the ball very well and is strong in the duel.
United seemed to miss his presence on the left side once he was substituted.
James Scanlon
James Scanlon scored United’s only goal in the game and was also the only youngster who was able to slot away a penalty in the shootout.
He has played more than 10 games for Gibraltar at international level and that experience seems to be obvious in how he plays the game. His attacking movement is very smart, as shown by his goal.
On the verge of the first-team, Scanlon made good decisions when the ball came to him but his influence was limited as the game went on.
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