U21S REPORT: GOALLESS AT ELLAND ROAD

U21S REPORT: GOALLESS AT ELLAND ROAD

United youngsters contest goalless draw with Birmingham City...

Our Under-21s played out their second 0-0 draw in the space of three days after being held at home to Birmingham City on Thursday afternoon.

It came on the back of Tuesday’s goalless trip to Crystal Palace and meant that Paul Hart’s side extended their unbeaten run to three Professional Development League 2 games.

Chances were at a premium during the early exchanges at Elland Road, but the United youngsters were enjoying plenty of possession in front of a small home crowd for the pre-Easter weekend clash.

It was the visitors Birmingham, however, who had the game’s first sight of goal after 22 minutes as Jack Storer dragged a low effort wide after being threaded into the area, shortly after Leeds had managed to clear their lines following a goal-mouth scramble.

Leeds probed patiently for an opening before their first attempt on goal came on the 35th-minute mark, Alex Purver seeing his first-time strike sail well over the Birmingham crossbar after some smart build-up play on the edge of the area.

There was little to separate the two sides during a largely uneventful opening 45 minutes, but Birmingham full-back Dom Bernard did threaten on the stroke of half-time, sending a back-post corner well over Bailey Peacock-Farrell’s bar after ghosting in unmarked.

Chances remained sparse at the start of the second half, but Birmingham enjoyed the better of them when they did come, with Storer forcing Peacock-Farrell into a strong, two-handed save to beat away his powerful strike from inside the area after creeping behind the United defence.

Alex Jones then came closest to breaking the deadlock for the visitors on 66 minutes, smashing his low effort against the far post from the edge of the area with Peacock-Farrell sprawling across his line.

United’s introduction of young forward Mallik Wilks gave the hosts an injection of energy in attack, and he played his part in creating the best chance of the game for Hart’s side, exchanging passes with Frank Mulhern before Tom Lyman was teed up to brush the side-netting with a 25-yard strike.

Wilks then fired an audacious volley over the Birmingham crossbar as the game entered the final 15 minutes, before the visitors looked to assert some pressure in a bid to find a late winner in the closing stages, with the unmarked Storer towering a header high and wide after being found inside the area with a cross from deep.

But there proved to be no way through for either side as the spoils were shared - for the second time this week in United's case.

Under-21s team: Peacock-Farrell, Vann, P McKay, Skelton, Denton, Purver, Vieira (Oduor 77), Lyman, Parkin (Pearce 67), Mulhern, J McKay (Wilks 63). Subs not used: Grimes, Downing.

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