REPORT: U21S TOO STRONG FOR BLUES

REPORT: U21S TOO STRONG FOR BLUES

Stokes and Phillips on target in St Andrew's victory...

Our Under-21s made it back-to-back victories after goals from Eoghan Stokes and Kalvin Phillips in either half helped secure a 2-1 win away to Birmingham City on Tuesday evening.

First-team squad members Souleymane Doukara, Lee Erwin and Phillips all lined-up alongside the usual blend of young talent at St Andrew’s, although regular U21s playmaker Chris Dawson missed out through injury.

It was Leeds who made the brighter start of the two and Alex Purver dragged wide with a low effort from the edge of the area inside the opening two minutes, before Erwin forced a fine, one-handed save from Blues ‘keeper Adam Legzdins to deny him from finding the bottom corner following Stokes’ cutback.

Eric Grimes was called into action at the opposite end, pushing away Viv Solomon-Otabor’s low strike, while Stokes was inches away from connecting with Erwin’s low cross, sliding in at the back post following a swift break up-field.

The hosts were looking to assert their authority on the game and forced United to defend deep during a period of play which saw Koby Arthur fire into the side-netting and Alex Jones have a low strike deflected wide.

Grimes was becoming the busier of the two goalkeepers and the Republic of Ireland U21s international pulled off a stunning save from point-blank range to somehow claw away Jones’ volley when the Blues striker appeared certain to score.

At the opposite end, Erwin and Doukara both threatened with half chances, before the deadlock was broken two minutes before the half-time whistle through Stokes’ powerful volley. The striker peeled away from his marker inside the area to meet Phillips’ precise corner and hammer beyond the helpless Legzdins.

A fast-paced start to the second period then saw Stokes and Frank Mulhern exchange chances before United’s lead was doubled from the penalty spot on the hour mark, after Legzdins had rushed from his goal to trip Phillips as he surged towards the byline.

The midfielder soon returned to his feet to confidently dispatch the resulting spot-kick, sending it into the bottom right hand corner despite the Blues goalkeeper having guessed correctly with his dive.

Second-half substitute Lewis Walters saw a low effort skim wide of the far post after turning his marker as Leeds looked for a third, but the hosts managed to pull one back on 78 minutes as Solomon-Otabor’s back-post cross was poked in from close-range by Jones.

But that proved to be the game's final piece of meaningful goalmouth action as United claimed the three points.

United team: Grimes, Coyle, Skelton, Vann, Denton, Purver, Phillips, Doukara, Erwin, Stokes (Parkin 74), Mulhern (Walters 67). Subs not used. Richardson, Pearce, Lyman.

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