Our Under-23s overturned a two-goal deficit to claim a 5-2 victory over Coventry City in their opening fixture of the Professional Development League season at Elland Road on Thursday evening.

The United youngsters trailed 2-0 at the break but second-half goals from substitute Frank Mulhern, Eoghan Stokes (2), Clarke Oduor and Mallik Wilks saw Jason Blunt’s side kick-off their campaign in emphatic fashion.

Stokes fired over from distance with United’s first sight of goal, but the visitors soon found themselves in front as Devon Kelly-Evans converted an 11th-minute penalty.

And Coventry’s advantage was doubled less than a minute later, Jordan Ponticelli hammering beyond Bailey Peacock-Farrell from close-range after the ball had fallen kindly into his path.

Peacock-Farrell was then called upon to thwart Kyle Spence with a sharp save down to his left, before a Tom Pearce corner led to United’s best opening of the night, only for Oduor to turn his cross onto the roof of the net at the back post.

Peacock-Farrell made another fine stop to deny Ponticelli from adding to his tally for the evening, while Jamie Shackleton forced Lee Burge into his first save of the evening at the opposite end with a dipping strike from the edge of the area on the stroke of half-time.

United introduced Mulhern and Liam Kitching at the break, and it was striker Mulhern who got Blunt’s team back in the game within five minutes of the restart as he tucked away Wilks’ back-post cross from inside the area following a swift break up-field.

It was the ideal start to the second half and one which was built on just seven minutes later as Stokes fired home a superb strike from the edge of the Coventry penalty box to pull United level.

And things got even better as the game passed the hour mark, with Oduor slotting a low finish into the bottom corner after latching onto a right-wing free-kick inside the area to turn the game on its head and put United in front.

The advantage was soon extended courtesy of the lively Wilks, hammering into the roof of the net after seeing his initial effort pushed away by substitute goalkeeper Corey Addai, before Stokes finished calmly from inside the area to wrap things up with his second of the evening.

Under-23s team vs Coventry City: Peacock-Farrell, Nicell (Kitching 45), M Taylor, P McKay (Wollerton 87), Pearce (Mulhern 45), Oduor, Shackleton, Whitehouse, Denton, Stokes, Wilks. Subs not used: Richardson, Knight.