Res: United 4 Chelsea 1

Barclays Premier Reserve League
Moss Lane, Altrincham
Monday 18 April 2011

MANCHESTER UNITED 4
King 28 30, Obertan 60, Bebe 81
CHELSEA 1
Nkumu 37

United closed in on the Northern Group A reserves title with a convincing 4-1 success against Chelsea.

Joshua King scored twice inside two minutes and second half strikes by Gabriel Obertan and Bebe, both created by outstanding playmaker Oliver Norwood, took the second string to the brink of clinching top spot. However, Manchester City's win over Liverpool means United still need one point from our last two matches to make mathematically certain.
The Reds' speedy front trio immediately caused problems for the visiting rearguard with King almost pouncing on a sloppy backpass by Armin Affane in the third minute. Norwood released Obertan with a splendid through ball but the Frenchman could only loft his shot onto the top of the goal as the Blues struggled in defence.
Obertan headed over a Bebe cross and then saw his centre somehow evade King in the middle before two goals in two minutes painted a fairer reflection of United's dominance. Robbie Brady won the ball on a break from a Blues corner to feed Norwood and King was able to sprint forward, play a one-two with Marnick Vermijl, and place a cool finish wide of Jan Sebek.
Two minutes later, Norwood was at the root of another devastating move which saw Brady feed the overlapping King, who cut in from the left to bury a confident drive into the net from an acute angle.
Although Brady was booked for a rash challenge on Adam Phillip, Warren Joyce's side looked
in control until a free-kick by Gokhan Tore was headed past Ben Amos by Archange Nkumu. King looked for a hat-trick as United responded but his shot was comfortably saved and, instead, Amos looked on nervously when Carl Magnay's effort flew over in first-half stoppage time.
There was more Reds pressure after the break with Bebe using his pace to get past Armin Affane, only to fire against Sebek's legs, and Obertan forcing the keeper into a decent stop with a stabbed attempt.
Seconds after Blues boss Steve Holland threw on fitness coach Chris Jones, Norwood supplied an exquisite through ball with back-spin that allowed Obertan to nudge it past the on-rushing Sebek before tapping home.
It should have given Joyce's side some breathing space but there was a fortunate escape when Chelsea had a goal wrongly chalked off for offside against Phillip following a ricochet off Amos and into the net via Vermijl. The keeper, returning after a dislocated finger, then pushed over a Tore drive as United were unable to rest on their laurels.
But the hosts remained a threat as Obertan's pace almost got him in for his second, only to clip just wide, and youngster Jack Rudge should have profited from a fine pass by fellow substitute Davide Petrucci but shot off target.
With Norwood still in quarterback mode, the Northern Irishman pinged a delightful pass into the path of Bebe who slammed past Sebek from close range for number four.
Bebe lashed over the top in the 89th minute and Norwood tried an audacious chip with the last kick as United showed why it's now only one defeat in the last 21 matches at this level.

United: Amos; Vermijl, Dudgeon, Wootton, Gill; R.Brown, Norwood, Brady (Petrucci 68); Bebe, King (Rudge 80), Obertan. Subs not used: Devlin, Wilkinson, Rowley.