Leeds United’s U21s were beaten 3-2 by Accrington Stanley on Tuesday night, but there were some impressive performances from players worth keeping a close eye on.
Away from the first team, the U21s were in action on Tuesday night in the EFL Trophy, coming up against senior EFL opposition again.
They travelled to Accrington Stanley looking to make a good account of themselves and gain some valuable experience.
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Leeds United youngster Rory Mahady impresses as key goalkeeper attribute catches the eye
United were beaten 3-2 by Accrington, and you won’t be at all surprised to learn who scored both of our goals, Harry Gray.
The 17-year-old opened the scoring before netting a consolation late on as the Whites lost. However, Leeds weren’t helped by Reuben Lopata-White’s red card for violent conduct at 1-0.
But, goalkeeper Rory Mahady again demonstrated his talents despite shipping three that were out of his control. Mahady’s distribution is what caught the eye online. The right-footed stopper launched a brilliant pass upfield that released Gray for an opportunity to double Leeds’ lead, only to be thwarted by Mahady’s opposite number.
Throughout the 90 minutes, Mahady pulled off a series of seriously impressive passes both short and long with either foot. He played through the Accrington press to kickstart multiple United attacks:
Rory Mahady’s distribution. All still images from LUTV (via @JackLUFC1919)
Rory Mahady’s distribution. All still images from LUTV (via @JackLUFC1919)
Rory Mahady’s distribution. All still images from LUTV (via @JackLUFC1919)
Leeds United need to manage Rory Mahady’s development better than Elia Caprile
Mahady is developing nicely at Thorp Arch since joining from Celtic. Recently, he secured a brief youth loan to Scunthorpe United as the National League side were left short in goal. And in his two appearances, he’s was named in the league’s Team of the Week for the first and kept a clean sheet in the second.
He’s rapidly become a popular figure for the Iron despite only playing twice. There have been calls for his loan to be extended for the remainder of the campaign, having already been extended beyond his initial appearance.
Leeds have a duty to ensure Mahady develops well on our books. That’s especially so, as we’ve been given a grim reminder of what can happen if you don’t give the right opportunities to youngsters.
Elia Caprile left United without a senior appearance to his name. He moved back to Italy where he’s risen from the second tier into being a mainstay in the Serie A. Now, he’s been called up to Italy’s squad for this month’s internationals.
Caprie clearly had the potential to be a first team option for Leeds left before he had the chance. And, Mahady’s progression through the ranks suggests he’s one to keep an eye on too.
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