Manchester United Under-21 team don book dia place for Premier League 2 play-off quarter-finals after beating Sunderland 3-2 for Leigh Sports Village. Shea Lacey, di 19-year-old winger wey don already make im first-team debut under Ruben Amorim, score one goal and show why im be star for di academy.
Lacey don dey train with di first team and im maturity dey show for im game. Adam Lawrence, di interim boss for U21 side, talk say di young boy dey play with plenty maturity now. Lawrence tell Manchester Evening News say, ‘I think if you dey look at Shea for this recent period, I think im dey play with a lot of maturity. You fit see say training with di first-team players and being around dia programme consistently dey help am for plenty areas of im game.’
Di game start well for United as Chido Obi put dem for front with fine finish from Jack Moorhouse through ball. Jack Fletcher double di lead when im steer home rebound after Moorhouse shot don block. Felix Scott pull one back for Sunderland before break, but Lacey score di third goal for United just before hour mark. Tyler Fletcher win possession back inside Sunderland half, Lacey cut inside and send precise low shot into bottom corner.
Jack Whittaker reduce di arrears again with 18 minutes left, but United hold on to reach di last eight. Lawrence talk say im side learn lesson after Sunderland come back into contest when United get two-goal lead. Im say, ‘Sunderland are a good side, and I think dem play some good stuff, but di biggest lesson for team stuff na when we get those two goal leads, we need to continue with dominance and see di game out properly.’
Lacey don physically mature and overcome challenging period marked by minor injuries. Lawrence credit all staff wey work behind scenes for managing am. Im add say, ‘Sometimes we forget im be young man and im dey go through those years of growth. But for that maturity, we definitely see improvement on and off di pitch, so hopefully im go continue to build on that and take confidence from it.’
Di England Under-20 international show im quality for first-half with phenomenal piece of skill to take cross field pass down with outside of im left foot without breaking stride. Im also deliver 60-yard pass across pitch wey land perfectly for Victor Musa. After interval, im curl shot wide after trademark cut inside from right wing.
United finish second for Premier League 2 to earn seeding for dis game. Lacey make im first-team debut for December against Aston Villa under Ruben Amorim, and get two appearances from bench by Darren Fletcher during im caretaker stint. Im bin for bench for United last two games against Leeds and Chelsea, but im presence for Adam Lawrence starting line-up, along with Darren Fletcher twins Tyler and Jack, suggest none of dem go get meaningful involvement for tomorrow night Premier League clash with Brentford.
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