Wednesday 18 December 2024 20:55
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Manchester United’s high-flying Under-18s started our latest FA Youth Cup campaign in ruthless fashion, defeating Coventry City to set up a fourth-round tie at home to Preston North End.
Gabriele Biancheri's hat-trick and Chido Obi's double guided Adam Lawrence's side through as they seek to follow up on last season's unprecedented season of success by progressing in as many competitions as possible.
Wednesday's success will be particularly satisfying after a tough UEFA Youth League exit at the hands of AZ Alkmaar a week before. Our Academy teams now take a break for Christmas before returning in January 2025.
The visitors threatened first in a thrilling opening to this cup encounter, but winger Alfie White’s right-footed shot was comfortably saved by Will Murdock. Coventry quickly regained the ball and played with good intent, but were soon dispossessed by a proactive Tyler Fletcher, who fed Chido Obi. His attempt to lift the ball over visiting goalkeeper Luis Lines was unsuccessful.
United didn’t have to wait long, though, to open the scoring. Before the third minute was out, captain Jacob Devaney played James Scanlon down the right and his ball across the face of the goal was converted calmly by Biancheri, running inside from the left wing.
After another Coventry attempt, this time after a scrambled corner, Biancheri doubled our early advantage, latching onto another clever ball from Devaney, rounding the sweeping Lines and finishing with ease.
Biancheri turned provider two minutes later, controlling Reece Munro’s powerful pass out from defence and teeing up Obi, who gave Lines the eyes and slotted into the bottom right corner with the inside of his right boot.
The game’s frenetic nature calmed, aided by a long pause for Devaney and Coventry’s Joseph McCallum to receive treatment after a clash of heads. The visitors’ were forced into a change, bringing on Tionne Critchlow-Woyo.
Efforts from Obi and Scanlon were both saved before two big chances in added time ended the half. Obi’s blocked shot fell to Biancheri, whose left-footed effort fizzed painfully past the left post before another from the Welsh forward flew across the face of goal with no one able to turn it home.
Obi's 53rd-minute free-kick ensured United started the second half nearly as well as the first.
United began the second half nearly as ruthlessly as the first, with Obi brought down for a free-kick on the area’s edge and duly converting, striking through the wall and into the bottom left corner.
Biancheri had the chance to finish his hat-trick soon after as he was felled in the area, but his penalty was saved by Lines.
A string of substitutions for both teams slowed the game’s pace, although Obi searched for a hat-trick with a left-footed drive after good footwork, only for Lines to save again.
Zach Baumann, one of the substitutes, forced Lines into a finger-tip save after a powerful effort from the edge of the box.
Biancheri managed to complete his hat-trick with another cool close-range finish, this time after Kukonki’s short pass inside the area.
**MATCH DETAILS**
**United XI:** Murdock; Kamason, Munro, Armer (Mills 65), Amass (Kukonki 72); Devaney (c) (Thwaites 66), T. Fletcher; Scanlon (Musa 60), Fitzgerald (Baumann 60), Biancheri; Obi (Ibragimov 72).
**Unused subs:** Byrne-Hughes.
**Goals:** Biancheri 3, 10, 79, Obi 13, 53.
**Bookings:** None.
Wednesday 18 December 2024 20:55
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