Reserves: United 1 Everton 0
United returned to winning ways in the Premiership Reserve League with an accomplished 1-0 victory over Everton.
Substitute Chris Fagan ensured the Reds' second-half dominance yielded maximum points with his strike nine minutes from time. It was the youth team forward's first goal at this level, and the reserves' first win in three league games after back-to-back defeats.
Everton goalkeeper Richard Wright demonstrated his experience to make early saves in one-on-one situations with Sean Evans and Chris Eagles.
Eagles almost gifted the visitors a goal at the other end when he lost possession after initially intercepting Everton’s first corner in the 13th minute. But fortunately for United, Stephen Connor could only strike his shot across goal. Former Arsenal youth player Kieran Agard was also off-target with two good opportunities.
When Everton right-winger Connor beat Reds left-back Kieran Lee and pulled the ball back via John Paul Kissock, Bjarni Vidarsson forced a great save from Tom Heaton. The creative Kissock was on the end of a neat move in the 40th minute, striking a low shot just wide of Heaton’s left-hand post.
If the more experienced Everton side had more of the possession and chances in the first half, it was to the credit of Brian McClair and Jim Ryan’s young players, in particular the centre-half pairing of James Chester and Michael Lea, that the period ended goalless.
The Reds reshuffled at the break to send Eagles further forward in support of Fabian Brandy, bring Kieran Lee into midfield and move Evans to left-back. The changes saw United grow in stature as an attacking force, especially down the flanks with the likes of Michael Barnes on the left. Barnes combined with Lee on the left to send in a dangerous low cross that Lee Molyneux just managed to divert away from Brandy. From the other flank, Mullan cut inside to tee up Eagles for a drive and then crossed for Brandy to head towards goal. Both efforts were on target and saved by Wright.
Evans was involved at both ends in the 73rd minute, first preventing a shot by Agard after some indecision in the United rearguard and then racing forward on the counter-attack to feed Brandy. Again the striker was denied by Wright.
The momentum was building towards a breakthrough for United. When Phelan fouled Mullan and earned the first booking of the game, Eagles forced a superb save from Wright with a free-kick that deflected off two defenders.
But the Everton keeper was finally beaten moments later, in the 81st minute, when Eagles crossed low from the right and Fagan tucked a first-time shot into the bottom left-hand corner, five minutes after replacing Barnes.
Everton thought they’d grabbed an almost immediate equaliser when Agard put the ball in the net at the second attempt after Heaton’s fine double save from Kissock and then the ‘scorer’, but the linesman’s flag ruled it out.
United: Heaton; R.Eckersley, Chester, Lea, Lee; Mullan, Drinkwater, C.Evans, Barnes (Fagan, 76); Eagles, Brandy. Subs not used: Burns, Zieler, Derbyshire, Bryan.
