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Manchester United’s U21 side travelled to Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday night for some EFL Trophy action as Tommy Rowe encountered his former club.
After a dramatic win last time out against Barnsley, Travis Binnion’s side looked to replicate a similar result against a difficult opposition.
United took the lead just after the ten-minute mark when Ethan Ennis picked up the ball in his own half and jinked past his marker alongside the touchline before charging towards Doncaster’s box before laying it off to Sam Mather on the left side, who cut onto his right foot expertly and placed the ball into the far corner.
The young Reds started the match well in possession, drawing in Doncaster’s press and then looking to play through it with Jacob Devaney at the heart of the action.
The attractive playstyle didn’t come without risks though and a sloppy pass almost gifted a good chance to the experienced Billy Sharp but fortunately for United, the striker had strayed offside and mishit his attempt.
The home side worked their way into the match though as the half wore on and equalised when Rowe could only clear a cross to Joe Sbarra at the edge of the box whose shot took a hefty deflection off of Jack Kingdon before flying past Dermot Mee into the United goal.
Doncaster then had a chance from a corner when former United trialist Joseph Oluwu rose to win the header but the follow up shot sailed wide of the post.
Early in the second half, a long ball over the top caused problems when Rowe couldn’t clear and the ref waved away his protestations for a push in the back. As a result, the ball fell to Sharp who cleverly backheeled the ball into space to run onto and smash against the right post before the rebound came back to Ephraim Yeboah to finish.
A third goal for Doncaster came in the 65th minute which many thought would kill off the game. A wayward pass from Mee gave the ball to former United academy product George Broadbent who delightfully controlled the ball and floated a volley over Mee and into the goal.
As was seen against Barnsley earlier in the season though, Binnion’s side are not one to give up without a fight.
United’s star man on the night, Ethan Ennis, pulled one back with a simple side foot finish after Mather won back possession in the Doncaster area and supplied the cutback.
It took until the fifth minute of injury time for the young academy stars to find an equaliser. Harry Amass’ corner headed straight to Mee who was up for the corner.
Like a fish out of water, the United keeper fluffed his chance but it then fell straight to Louis Jackson to chest down and smash through the crowd and into the goal.
#MUFC make it 3-3 at Doncaster in stoppage time! Another great EFL Trophy comeback by Travis Binnion’s Under-21s pic.twitter.com/W1U7ywYk0N
— Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) September 24, 2024
With the score 3-3 at the final whistle, it went to penalties where United produced five perfectly taken penalties to earn the extra point after Mee made up for his earlier mistake by denying Broadbent from the spot.
Earning two points, United lead the group with five points from two games as they head into the final group stage match which will be their toughest against Huddersfield Town.
United: Mee, Ogunneye (McAllister 64), Kingdon, Rowe, Amass, Devaney (Missin 84), Gore (Jackson 62), Ennis (Biancheri 85), J. Fletcher, Mather, Wheatley
Unused subs: Graczyk, Curley, Sharpe
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