Reserves: Utd 3 Bolton 1QUOTE
United won the Manchester Senior Cup for the 30th time in the club's history on Monday night as the Reds' reserve team - bolstered by Darren Fletcher, Anders Lindegaard and Rafael - turned over Bolton Wanderers at Old Trafford.
This was the Reds' seventh win out of seven games in this season's competition - the group-stage successes including a 4-0 victory over the same opponents last September. Nick Ajose - who netted a 16-minute hat-trick in that earlier meeting - also struck first in the final, five minutes before the break, and was swiftly followed onto the scoresheet by Reece Brown. And although Bolton's Tom Eaves pulled a goal back in the 80th minute, Italian substitute Davide Petrucci sealed the silverware for United with a penalty moments later.
United’s best chance inside the first 10 minutes was carved out by Gabriel Obertan cutting the ball back from the right-hand byline, only for Ajose to misfire in the middle. Ajose was also off-target when Norwood played on after Obertan's penalty shout was ignored. The Reds' number nine met the midfielder's fine cross at the far post but nodded the ball onto the roof of Lainton's net.
Bolton spurned an opportunity to capitalise on some early counter-attacks when centre-back Ben Dennis planted a free header wide from Josh Vela’s left-wing corner. Lindegaard was called into his first real action moments later, diving right to clutch a powerful drive from Tom Eaves at the spearhead of Wanderers’ attack.
Brady tried his luck from both flanks as the Reds began to dominate, his first strike from the left spinning off a defender for a corner while his right-wing shot fizzed wide of the far post. Width was also key to Bolton’s attack with Obadeyi’s strength and pace on the left giving Rafael a rigorous work-out. At one point the Wanderers winger blazed a trail along the left-hand byline, with the Brazilian full-back in his wake, but Obadeyi’s final ball left his coach exasperated – perhaps because nobody in white could supply the merest touch required to put Bolton in front.
The visitors’ frustration was compounded moments later when United took the lead instead, Ajose latching onto Fletcher’s pass to rifle past Lainton. Fletcher, a Senior Cup winner with the Reds way back in 2000, was also involved in the second goal, when Josh Vela fouled him 25 yards from goal. The resulting free-kick seemed ripe for an attacking player like Obertan, Norwood or Brady to strike it – instead Reece Brown stepped up from centre-back to beat Lainton with a low shot into the bottom left-hand corner.
The two-goal lead gleaned just before the break sent the Reds striding into the second half and Ajose almost added a third goal when his first-time stab from Brady's low cross was swept away by Lainton's right leg. Brady rode a couple of challenges before supplying the ball and he had the beating of Bolton right-back Riley again when he forced a good save from Lainton himself.
Brady made way just before the hour mark, as did Matty James, as the Reds responded to Bolton's double change of personnel by sending
on Josh King and Marnick Vermijl. Both substitutes were quickly into the thick of it to work Lainton from either side of his area.
Rafael and Odebeyi reprised their first-half battle to the delight of a small crowd in the North Stand's lower tier, trading tricks and tackles in a skirmish as the game entered the latter stages. Fans of both clubs audibly enjoyed their duel but it was the visitors who were cheering next when Eaves received a pass from Vela and buried a shot beyond Lindegaard in the 80th minute.
If Bolton's goal put the final in the balance again, this lasted just six minutes until the Reds regained a two-goal cushion. Oliver Gill's marauding run into the area was halted illegally by Dennis' sliding challenge and referee Trevor Massey rightly pointed to the spot. Davide Petrucci, fresh onto the pitch as Obertan's replacement, put away the penalty to make it 3-1 to United and ensure Warren Joyce's team have a tangible reward for a long and largely successful season.
United: Lindegaard; Rafael, R Brown, Wootton, Gill; Norwood, James (Vermijl, 58), Fletcher, Brady (King, 58); Ajose, Obertan (Petrucci, 82). Subs not used: Devlin, Barmby.
Bolton: Lainton; Riley, Dennis, Connolly, McQuade; McGeechan (Kellett, 54), Vela, Blakeman, Obadeyi; O'Halloran (Odelusi, 54), Eaves.
http://www.manutd.com/en/Players-And-Staff...l.aspx?pageNo=1Fletcher & Lindegaard to play against Blackpool?
May 17 2011, 12:59 AM
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unless ABU Platini wanna do something... 
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