Coventry City's Milan van Ewijk (centre) after the pre-season friendly match at the Lamex Stadium, Stevenage. Picture date: Tuesday July 23, 2024.
Manchester United’s U18s began their FA Youth Cup journey on Wednesday evening, hosting Coventry City at Leigh Sports Village. After a disappointing early exit from last season’s competition, coach Adam Lawrence’s team was determined to avoid repeating that mistake and secure the only trophy that had eluded them in the previous campaign.
Their dominance was evident from the very start as they took the lead in the third minute. Jacob Devaney delivered a brilliant cross-field pass to James Scanlon on the right wing. Scanlon quickly squared the ball across the box, allowing Gabriele Biancheri to calmly tap in at the back post, giving United a 1-0 lead.
The Red Devils continued to apply pressure, and within minutes, Devaney played a pinpoint 40-yard pass that split the Coventry defense, sending Biancheri through on goal. The Welsh forward made no mistake, rounding the goalkeeper before slotting the ball into an empty net to double United’s advantage.
By the 13th minute, Manchester United had built a commanding 3-0 lead. Reece Munro intercepted the ball in midfield and threaded a perfectly timed pass to Biancheri, who held the ball up and squared it to Chido Obi. Obi took his time, selecting his spot in the bottom-right corner to finish and extend United’s lead.
The match took a brief pause after a clash of heads in midfield resulted in a lengthy stoppage. The collision left Devaney with a large bandage wrapped around his head, but the game resumed soon after, with United continuing to dominate.
Late in the first half, Obi had a chance to score again when his chipped shot was blocked into Biancheri’s path. The striker tried to complete his hat-trick but was unable to keep his effort on target, meaning the score remained 3-0 at the break.
The second half began in much the same fashion as the first, with Manchester United firmly in control. Shortly after the restart, Obi was fouled at the edge of the box after holding off his marker well. He took the resulting free-kick himself, sending a low shot under the wall and into the bottom left corner to make it 4-0.
Within three minutes, Biancheri had another opportunity to add to his tally when he was brought down in the box. He took the penalty himself, aiming for the same left corner, but his stuttering run-up lacked the power needed to beat the goalkeeper, who saved it comfortably.
Despite missing from the spot, Biancheri was determined to finish the game with a goal. In the 78th minute, he completed his hat-trick with a close-range finish. Victor Musa played a perfect pass to Godwill Kukonki, who was making a run into the box unmarked. Kukonki slid the ball across to Biancheri, who calmly finished to cap off the scoring at 5-0.
With the game firmly in their control, Manchester United’s U18s secured an impressive 5-0 victory over Coventry City, advancing to the next round of the FA Youth Cup. The performance was a statement of intent from Lawrence’s side, as they look to make a deeper run in the competition this season and claim the trophy that has so far eluded them.
