Manchester United fans in the Stretford End sang until the bitter end of the Manchester derby and supporters were in fine voice again as the youngsters walked out at the Peninsula Stadium.
An early rendition of ‘12 Days of Cantona’ came from the sold-out away section and ‘only one Bobby Charlton’ followed. The fans were determined to enjoy the occasion and they were celebrating a goal just seven minutes in.
Salford’s defending at a corner was sloppy and Shola Shoretire took advantage with a smart finish through bodies. It was the perfect start and the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Dan Gore and Omari Forson shared an embrace with Shoretire.
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Mainoo was named on the bench for the derby and many wanted him to feature against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, but he started against Salford and operated in the advanced midfield position.
The 18-year-old only made his return to action playing for the academy against Copenhagen last week and it was a surprise to see him start with the Newcastle game on the horizon, although it did suggest he’s short of match fitness.
Mainoo sustained an ankle injury against Real Madrid in pre-season and his first-team chance will come. Erik ten Hag lauded his qualities before the derby and it’s only a matter of time before he features at senior level again.
United needed a win against Salford, who were already out of the EFL Trophy prior to the game, to give themselves a chance of progressing from the group stage and they made their best start to a contest for a while.
Travis Binnion named a strong team capable of delivering a convincing performance and the U21 boss would have been delighted with the fast and efficient start, which made the pockets of Salford fans lose their voices.
The youngsters were knocking the ball around with confidence and Willy Kambwala, who started with Rhys Bennett at the heart of the defence, looked assured when dealing with Salford’s speculative balls forward.
Kamwala and Bennett are physically imposing for academy players and it’s great to see the latter back playing regularly after injury. Bennett captained the FA Youth Cup winning side of 2021/22 and he’s well-regarded by staff.
United were much the better side in the opening stages, but they were soon given a reminder there were two sides in the game when Salford stole possession and Conor McAleny ruthlessly found the corner past goalkeeper Elyh Harrison.
Harrison could do nothing about the excellent finish and he was beaten again moments later, with an almost identical goal. Salford were suddenly 2-1 up after goals in quick succession and the U21s’ confidence took a blow.
United were poor for the remainder of the first half and Gore wasn’t able to have his usual impact, although encouragingly, Mainoo had begun to grow into it by spraying some beautiful passes under the the floodlights.
Mainoo had been the standout performer and it’s disappointing that he won’t be involved against Newcastle. The midfielder has outgrown academy football and his talent is needed in the first-team.
Binnion was bound to have words with Mainoo’s teammates at the break and he quickly headed down the tunnel. United had faded after making an impressive start - but they were about to explode into life.
United made no changes and whatever Binnion said worked. Omari Forson equalised immediately after the resumption of play and Shoretire made it 3-2 just a few minutes later to restore United’s lead.
The fans hadn’t come up for breath in time for Shoretire’s brace and the chants started again. The first-team haven’t provided much joy this season, but the youngsters were giving the punters an entertaining Halloween night.
United fans weren’t given a goal to celebrate in the Manchester derby but they got three against Salford. They also had the treat of watching Mainoo for 90 minutes and they should be seeing more of him imminently.
Although the youngsters were on course for an important win, it’s never that simple. Salford were awarded a penalty in the 85th minute, which they scored, and the game was turned on its head and became frantic.
Shoretire made an outstanding tackle to prevent a Salford counter-attack and Gore almost produced a winner at the opposite end. Salford then broke again and the referee pointed to the spot for another penalty deep into injury time.
Salford converted the penalty to win the game 4-3 and that meant the U21s’ EFL Trophy campaign ended in dramatic fashion.
Mainoo buried his head into his shirt but supporters will be seeing more of his face.
The transfer window will soon close and although United got their hands on three players well in advance of the September 1 deadline, with Rasmus Hojlund joining Mason Mount and Andre Onana at Old Trafford, activity has stalled since Hojlund’s announcement.
A goalkeeper, a midfielder and a striker were Erik ten Hag’s priorities heading into the summer window, but injuries early on in the season mean United are in need of further reinforcements.
Our team of experts will be on top of all the goings-on at Old Trafford for the remainder of the window and beyond, and you can get the latest updates and inside information to your phone by joining our new free WhatsApp community below.
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