Eoghan Stokes struck the winner as our Under-21s signed off from 2015 with a 1-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday on Monday afternoon.

Stokes fired home within a minute of the second half getting underway following a dominant first-half display from Paul Hart’s side at Thorp Arch.

The Leeds starting line-up featured several first-team squad members, including attacking duo Jordan Botaka and Lee Erwin.

It was Botaka who had the game’s first sight of goal, cutting inside before seeing his strike cannon back off a Wednesday defender, before fellow senior player Tommaso Bianchi tested goalkeeper Cameron Dawson with a low strike on the turn from inside the area.

Kalvin Phillips blasted over the crossbar from a tight angle after being threaded into the box by Botaka, before Dawson denied United’s Congolese international with his feet at the back post following Phillips’ free-kick during the closing stages of a goalless first half.

But the deadlock was broken shortly after the two sides remerged for the second period, Stokes firing home on the turn from inside the area following some fine build-up play.

Captain Lewie Coyle then drilled a ferocious effort just over the Wednesday bar as the Leeds youngsters pushed for a quick-fire second.

At the opposite end, Bailey Peacock-Farrell was alert to beat away Warren Clarke’s curling effort from distance, but it was an otherwise relatively quiet afternoon for the young goalkeeper.

The closing stages saw Erwin drag a low half-volley agonisingly wide of the far post, and that proved to be the final piece of goalmouth action as United ended the calendar year with three hard-fought points.

Under-21s team vs Sheffield Wednesday: Peacock-Farrell, Coyle, Vann, Purver, Denton, Sloth, Phillips, Bianchi, Botaka, Stokes, Erwin. Subs not used: Grimes, Lyman, Parkin, Walters, McDaid.