Reserves: Hull 1 United 2 – Tošić tames the Tigers

November 24th 2009, 7pm
Church Road, North Ferriby

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Hull City Reserves	1-2	Manchester United Reserves

Cullen 77

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Tošić 58, 90+2

 
Two goals from Zoran Tošić – the last deep into injury time – were enough to hand the Reds a deserved away win over Hull City and avenge last year’s reverse at Church Road.

The Serb international brilliantly opened the scoring just before the hour mark with a clever finish after a mazy run into the Hull penalty area. Mark Cullen’s opportunistic strike after a rare lapse in concentration at the back by the Reds looked to have salvaged the home side a somewhat fortunate share of the spoils, but Ole Solskjaer’s side had other ideas, pushing for the winner right until the end in typical United fashion and getting just reward in the second minute of added time, Tošić slotting home from the edge of the box to secure another hard-earned three points in the Barclays Premier Reserve League North.

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As is the reserve team manager’s lot, Solskjaer was presented with a number of problems when putting together his matchday squad. Injuries deprived the Norwegian of a number of players, including Joe Dudgeon, Joshua King and Corry Evans, while the academy group – itself significantly depleted by injuries – had a tough away trip of their own just three days ago which will have ruled many of the participants out of another game so soon after. Add to that the absence of those set to feature in what is essentially a Champions League ‘dead rubber’ against Besiktas tomorrow… it’s fair to say OGS was down to the bare bones.

As at any level, one player’s unavailability is another’s opportunity, and that was certainly true of Ryan Tunnicliffe, who was handed a first reserve start. The 16 year-old is typically a midfielder but has displayed his versatility on many occasions in the academy side and was required to do so again here at right-back. Elsewhere, the main impact of the player shortage came in attack – with no Macheda, Welbeck, King or Brandy for various reasons, Sam Hewson and Cameron Stewart formed an unlikely front pairing. Academy top scorers Will Keane and Nicky Ajose were drafted onto the bench to offer more orthodox but less experienced striker options, and there was also a place amongst the subs for Davide Petrucci, his first reserve involvement of the season.

 
UNITED
1. Ron-Robert Zieler
2. Ryan Tunnicliffe
3. Oliver Gill
4. Scott Wootton
5. Ritchie de Laet
6. Matt James (c)
7. Cameron Stewart
8. Sam Hewson (14. Will Keane 61)
9. Oliver Norwood
10. Magnus Eikrem (15. Davide Petrucci 75)
11. Zoran Tošić

Subs not used
12. Nicky Ajose
13. Conor Devlin

Booked: Gill, Norwood

Ref: R J West

Attendance: ?

Hull City: Oxley, Fox, Cooper, Wilkinson, Deagle, Satelle (Holohan 63), Leonard, Hanley, Ekra, Cullen, Kendall.
Not Used: Ward, Emerton, Wright.