U18 Report: Saints 1-5 Man Utd
Southampton's Under-18s returned to action with a heavy 5-1 defeat against Manchester United in the Under-18s Premier League Cup.
United striker Ethan Wheatley scored four times for his side and Gabriele Biancheri added to a convincing scoreline for the visitors.
Saints continued to work hard throughout the second half and managed to get a goal of their own when Princewill Ehibhatiomhan turned home a low cross in the closing stages.
Youngster Thierry Rohart-Brown made his Under-18s debut after officially arriving last month from Reading.
Rohart-Brown made his debut for Saints U18s. (Photos: Craig Hobbs)
Saints were forced into some good defending early on when United winger Malachi Sharpe broke in behind and forced a strong save from Dylan Moody, before Wheatley saw his rebound blocked well by Jayden Moore.
United didn't have to wait long though, and took the lead in the 7th minute when Wheatley turned home from close range.
The visitors enjoyed the best of the opening stages and an excellent save from Moody stopped them doubling their lead, the Saints goalkeeper tipping wide after James Scanlon had cut in from the left to shoot.
Good pressing work in attack then created Saints’ first big opening of the contest; Rohart-Brown won the ball high and quick play involving Will Merry, Jay Robinson, and Nick Oyekunle saw the latter presented with a free shot that was well saved and bounced over the crossbar.
Saints worked their way into the game and further attempts on goal came courtesy of Ehibhatiomhan and Harrison Miles, but their efforts from long-range were dealt with by United goalkeeper Elyh Harrison.
Ehibhatiomhan tried his luck to pull a goal back.
The visitors scored their second after Moody produced another superb save to deny Sharpe, only for Wheatley to arrive and head home as the ball dropped kindly in the box.
It was then 3-0 on the stroke of half-time as Wheatley completed his hat-trick, sweeping home a spectacular left-footed finish from just outside the area.
As Saints attempted to get back into things in the second half, Jay Robinson curled a free-kick over the bar, before fizzing in a cross that was just too high for Ehibhatiomhan to connect with cleanly.
At the other end, Moody denied Ruben Curley with his feet and saved the resulting shot from long-range that followed to keep the deficit to three goals.
The Red Devils eventually found their fourth when Biancheri forced the ball home from around three yards out, and the fifth was added when Wheatley converted from the penalty spot.
With stoppage time being played, Saints did find a consolation when a low cross was smartly tucked home by Ehibhatiomhan in the game's final action.
Saints: Moody, Williams, Dobson-Ventura, Moore, Fry, Miles, Merry (Pitts 70), Rohart-Brown (Andrews 70), Oyekunle (Daley 57), Robinson, Ehibhatiomhan.
Subs not used: Upstell, Sesay.
Goals: Ehibhatiomhan 90.
Manchester Utd: Harrison, Ogunneye (Devaney 61), Amass, Jackson, Kingdon, Fletcher, Sharpe (Biancheri 66), Fitzgerald, Wheatley, Fletcher (Curley 67), Scanlon (Missin 62).
Subs not used: Myles.
Goals: Wheatley 7, 36, 43, 85, Biancheri 78.
Yellow Cards: Ogunneye 32.
