Markanday nets late winner against United Under-23s

Dilan Markanday scored a stoppage-time winner as our Under-23s defeated Manchester United at Stevenage's Lamex Stadium on Saturday lunchtime.

In a meeting of the two clubs' Development Squads in the Premier League 2, which took place hours before the equivalent first team fixture at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the in-form Markanday was on hand to drill home from inside the box in the 92nd minute after substitute Yago Santiago's cross had been cut out by defender Bjorn Hardley.

Dane Scarlett had previously gone close with a couple of second-half headers, having earlier cut back for Marcel Lavinier to test United keeper Matej Kovar inside the opening minute, while the visitors' best chances came in the latter stages of the first period when Shola Shoretire hit the base of the post with a shot-on-the-turn, moments before captain Teden Mengi volleyed over from close range.

In the end, though, Markanday was in the right place to bag his fifth goal in as many games which, combined with our first clean sheet of the season at this level, won us the points.

There was a familiar face in the visitors' dugout with our former youth coach Justin Cochrane, who also worked alongside Under-23s boss Wayne Burnett at the beginning of his reign, in the role of Head of Player Development for United.

We started blisteringly and had two good chances inside the opening 45 seconds, Markanday putting Scarlett's cut-back wide as it came to him quickly at the near post, with Lavinier's brilliant shot from the edge of the box - also laid on by Scarlett - met by an equally impressive stop from Kovar. United had a spell in control as the first period went on, Shoretire's free-kick stopped by goalkeeper Thimothee Lo-Tutala after he'd initially brought the United man down right on the edge of the box, with Anthony Elanga's attempt blocked by Malachi Fagan-Walcott before two big chances for the visitors went begging - Shoretire hitting Lo-Tutala's left-hand post after swivelling in the six-yard box with 28 minutes gone and Mengi blasting over from a corner when well placed to score three minutes later.

Scarlett saw the first of two good aerial chances slip away when he nodded Harvey White's corner over the bar when unmarked in the box near the start of the second period, while the lively Markanday twisted and turned into a shooting position before forcing Kovar to tip over. Nile John went close with a couple of attempts, United substitute Charlie McNeil firing into the side netting in a good opportunity for them in between, while White saw his rising shot from inside the box tipped over as we kept plugging away in search of an opening.

It looked like it might have been one of those days when substitute Romaine Mundle - back from a two-month injury lay-off - delivered a teasing cross in the 91st minute which Scarlett again headed over the bar. But when Santiago found space on the right side and his driven cross took a slight deflection off centre-back Hardley in the box, Markanday was there to drill home on his left foot and secure us a deserved victory.

'I'm really pleased that we've kept a clean sheet'

"It was a tough game, they've got some very good players, but I thought we edged it overall," reflected Under-23s Coach Wayne after the match. "We kept pressing, they kept pressing, it was a very open, attacking game but overall with the chances created, we proabably deserved the result. You look at it standing on the side and at 0-0 you're still thinking that it's been an exciting match - we had chance after chance, got into some really good areas but didn't capitalise.

"But we kept pressing, kept pushing and we made our pressure count at the end with Dilan, who is on a fine run of form - it's probably his best season so far for goal involvements. He's getting into positions that he got into last year or the year before, but he's now capitalising on when he's in those positions. I'm really pleased that we've kept a clean sheet as well. We've continued throughout the season to create chances and score goals, but it's been disapponting at times that we haven't kept a clean sheet. As much as we enjoy scoring goals, if you're going to challenge in your league, you need to keep clean sheets as well, so it's really positive that we earned one today."

Match data

Goal: Spurs - Markanday 90+2.

Yellow cards: Spurs - Lo-Tutala 22, Clarke 59, Lavinier 68; Manchester United - Hardley 55.

Referee: Darren Drysdale.

Venue: Lamex Stadium, Stevenage.

Weather: Sunny, 13 degrees.

Attendance: 715.