Seier over Coventry på bortebane...
Our Under-21s returned to winning ways on Monday afternoon after goals in either half from Luke
Parkin and Casper Sloth saw Paul Hart’s side come from behind to beat Coventry City 2-1.
The United youngsters went a goal down through Bassala Sambou’s seventh-minute strike, but Parkin levelled from close-range after good work from Souleymane Doukara on the stroke of half-time.
Parkin then turned provider just 20 seconds after the restart, with his deflected effort rolling into the path of Sloth to tuck away what proved to be the winning goal at Coventry’s Alan Higgs training centre.
It was a game which United dominated for large periods, despite Sambou giving the hosts an early lead with a precise finish after a surging run forward.
Doukara, starting alongside fellow first-team squad members Sloth, Tommaso Bianchi and Kalvin Phillips, then spurned two golden opportunities to equalise for Leeds, twice being denied by blocks from Coventry goalkeeper Corey Addai after breaking free.
The visitors were looking increasingly likely to pull themselves level and managed to do so moments after the lunging Eoghan Stokes had clipped the crossbar from Alex Purver’s drilled cross.
United continued to mount the pressure and their opening came seconds before the half-time whistle, with Parkin squeezing the ball home on the turn following some unselfish play from Doukara to tee up his strike partner inside the area.
And whatever Hart said to his players during the break clearly had the desired effect as Sloth made it 2-1 almost immediately from kick-off.
United worked the ball forward to Parkin, who looked to strike on the turn, and his attempt ricocheted into the feet of Sloth to tap home the simplest of finishes and put his side ahead.
It was largely one-way traffic as United pushed for a third, with Doukara and Parkin terrorising the home defence. The pair combined again but the latter saw his effort hacked off the line after Addai’s initial block.
The Coventry goalkeeper, ensuring the game remained a contest for his side, then thwarted Bianchi’s chip on the hour-mark.
In contrast, Eric Grimes had been little more than a spectator for the majority of the afternoon as United pressed, but the Irish U21 international needed to be alert on 77 minutes to keep out Ryan Haynes with a fine double save to preserve his side’s lead.
And it proved to be a key moment, as United saw the game out to claim the three points.
Reflecting on his side’s display, Hart said: “It was a disappointing start where we conceded, but from there on in I felt we pretty much controlled the game and had enough chances to win two games in the end.
“The senior players applied themselves exceptionally well, they showed a great attitude and people follow that.
“I was particularly pleased with the team’s performance because we’ve scored a lot of goals lately but have only got draws. We deserved that today.â€
Under-21s team vs Coventry City: Grimes, Purver, Vann, Skelton, Denton, Bianchi, Phillips, Sloth, Stokes (Walters 71), Parkin, Doukara (Lyman 81). Subs not used: Peacock-Farrell, Downing.
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