Old Trafford, 23 May 2011
MANCHESTER UNITED 4
(Morrison 37 70, W.Keane 45 82)
SHEFFIELD UNITED 1
(Ironside 73)
Aggregate: 6-3.
United's youngsters won the FA Youth Cup for a record 10th time with a thumping 4-1 victory against Sheffield United at Old Trafford securing a 6-3 aggregate success.
Ravel Morrison and Will Keane both found the net twice as the hosts gradually made their class tell despite a spirited effort from the Yorkshire outfit. After Morrison's opener, Keane converted a penalty at the end of the first half following a handball by Terry Kennedy. Another strike from Morrison gave United breathing space but Joe Ironside pulled one back to leave Keane to supply the coup de grace late on.
Paul McGuinness named an unchanged side from the first leg but the Reds were slow into their stride against determined opponents. Gyliano van Velzen drifted a shot wide but the first spell of concerted pressure did not arrive until around the 10 minute mark with Paul Pogba mustering a couple of attempts.
Indeed, the closest we came to a goal inside the opening quarter of an hour was when Jordan Slew turned sharply to whistle a shot just wide. George Long was called into action at the other end when Morrison shrugged off Aaron Barry to reach a Pogba pass with the keeper pulling off a sharp save with his legs.
After a nasty clash of heads between Michael Keane and Elliott Whitehouse, Ironside planted a header onto the roof of the net as the Blades continued to hold their own. But the visitors were undone when Ryan Tunnicliffe's slide-rule pass released Michael Keane and his cross eventually fell to Morrison. Taking one touch to control the spinning ball, the talented No10 casually stroked it past Long for the opener.
John Pemberton's side reacted well to the setback by conjuring up chances of their own. After Ironside's cross caused panic and Harry Maguire headed off target, Slew's curling drive flew wide with Johnstone grasping at thin air. United responded with Jesse Lingard's goalbound effort cleared off the line by Kennedy and, in first-half stoppage time, the Blades defender was guilty of swiping a Morrison cross away with his hand as Will Keane tried to head home. It merely delayed the prolific striker getting his name on the scoresheet as his composed penalty sent Long the wrong way.
The scoreline flattered United a little at the break but Pogba almost extended the lead with a trademark piledriver from a Lingard lay-off that was clawed away spectacularly by Long. After a lengthy delay for an injury to Maguire following a collision with Morrison, the Reds playmaker showed no ill effects himself when sprinting onto a Pogba pass, only to fire wide as the Stretford End prepared to hail a third goal.
By now, Morrison was really enjoying himself and, after trying an overhead kick, he drifted through to show his undoubted quality again by lashing across goal. The prodigious talent ensured United had one hand on the trophy when, after Slew was denied by Johnstone at the other end, he collected a Tom Thorpe pass, jinked into a shooting position and unleashed an unstoppable bullet drive.
The Blades refused to go down fighting and quickly reduced the deficit with Slew picking
out Ironside and the striker's scuffed finish found the bottom corner of the net. However, the Reds wrapped things up with eight minutes left as substitute Larnell Cole broke clear. Although his pass to Will Keane was underhit, the centre-forward stole in and confidently shimmied on a couple of occasions before releasing a perfectly-timed finish past Long for his second of the game.
Johnstone was worked on a couple of occasions and, in the lengthy period of injury time, Will Keane had a shot blocked as he hunted his hat-trick. It mattered little as United got their hands on the trophy - just reward for a thrilling cup run and further evidence of the up-and-coming talent at Sir Alex Ferguson's disposal.
United: Johnstone; M.Keane, McGinty, Thorpe, Fornasier; Lingard (Cole 78), Pogba, Tunnicliffe, Morrison (Cofie 91), van Velzen (Blackett 84); W.Keane. Subs not used: Cole, Massacci.
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