Manchester United’s Under-21s hosted bottom-of-the-table West Ham United on Friday night in search of their first win of the season.
An early chance opened up for Charlie McNeill from Bjorn Hardley’s cut, but the striker fired his effort over the bar.
Ten minutes later, McNeill launched the attack from deep, past Dan Gore, who then found Isak Hansen-Aaroen on the left to slice and fire into the nearest corner, but the West Ham keeper easily collected.
In the 15th minute, McNeill took the ball on turn to beat the defender before being brought down when he skipped the second. He stepped forward to take the free throw from 20 yards out, but missed when the ball almost went out of the stadium.
West Ham recorded their first chance in the 30th minute when Hardley’s header clearance from the corner fell to a West Ham player on the edge of the box, but he was unable to keep his effort on target.
Just before the break, Omari Forson would come close with a curling shot from the corner of the box that went wide of the top left corner.
At the other end, Nathan Bishop prevented West Ham’s Callum Marshall from taking the lead before the half with a fantastic foot save in the effort from close range.
The second half started like the first, with McNeill causing problems for West Ham when his cross was inadvertently shot off the post by the defender trying to clear.
In the 59th minute, West Ham took the lead after Tyler Fredricson was stripped of the ball, allowing West Ham to break and Kamarai Simon-Swyer feinted to get past Rhys Bennett’s final block attempt before passing to Bishop. .
The lead was short-lived however, as just seconds later Hansen-Aaroen sliced ​​from the left through two defenders and blocked his shot towards goal, but the ball bounced back before falling to Forson to slide from just two yards out. .
Hansen-Aaroen looked to play supply against shortly after with a cross from the left that McNeill headed over.
However, West Ham were still at it when Marshall threatened twice at the counter, but failed to hit the mark on either occasion.
United chased down a late winner with Hansen-Aaroen teasing the ball across the six-yard line, but no one could get to the end.
In the closing seconds, it was pinball in the West Ham box as the ball bounced and bounced everywhere after efforts from Forson and Gore, but the ball was eventually cleared to seal the final score at 1-1. United: Bishop, Jurado, Bennett, Fredricson, Hardley, Mainoo, Savage (Shoretire 46), Forson, Gore, Hansen-Aaroen, McNeill
Unused Subs: Mastny, Collyer, Murray, Norkett
