Butt’s United starlets edge brave Blues

Waterford United 1 Manchester United XI 2

Northern Ireland’s Patrick McNair was in the Reds’ starting side and Dublin’s Sam Byrne, signed from the St Joseph’s Club, was on the bench and introduced in the second half.

In the first half, the game burst into life in the 20th minute when Ben Ryan saw his powerfully struck 22-yard free fly inches wide of the top left corner of the Manchester net with Pierluigi Gollini beaten.

The Reds swept up-field from the kick-out and James Wilson smashed a vicious shot off the Waterford crossbar and Sanders made a good save when Wilson had a second attempt off the rebound.

Having done most of the attacking, the visitors breached the Blues’ defence on 35 minutes. Chip Sanders pulled off a super, diving save from James Wilson, but Wilson pounced on the subsequent in-swinging corner and drilled the ball high into the net.

The visitors increased their lead six minutes into the second half when Jack Barmby jinked past three defenders across the goal before swivelling and delivering an angled shot back into the far corner of the net.

Waterford came within a whisker of equalising just before half-time when Conor Coad’s effort was deflected over the crossbar by goalkeeper Gollini.

The biggest cheer of the night came on 73 minutes when Waterford’s Conor Whittle struck a glorious 30-yard drive that gave substitute goalkeeper Jonny Sutherland no chance as it screamed into the net.

The Blues almost got a second goal on 80 minutes when Sutherland spilled a low shot from Philip Drohan but Peter Higgins sliced the rebound wide with the goal at his mercy.

WATERFORD UNITED: Sanders (Hyland, ht), Carey (Whittle, ht), Rockett (Frost, 67m), Fitzgerald (Mernagh, 63m), Breen, Chambers (Barrett, 63m), McGrath (Reidy, 67m), Coad (O’Connor, 67m), Quilty (Chindea, 63m), Higgins, Ryan (Drohan, 63m).

MANCHESTER UNITED: Gollini, Weir, Rowley, Love, McNair, Rudge, Periera, Rothwell, Wilson (Olatayo, 60m), Lawrence (Byrne 60m), Barmby.

Referee: A. Mullally.