Youth team clinging on

With the much mooted youth team having suffered a 4-2 defeat against Liverpool in the Youth Cup semi final first leg, coach Joe Joyce is still hopeful of the youngsters making it through to the final. An own goal and a great header by Andy Carroll gave United a lifeline after the Scousers raced into a 3 goal lead. However Joyce believes the team can go one better than last season:

"I'm disappointed to come away with a 4-2 defeat and with the way we played for the first 30 minutes. But from the moment we went 2-0 down, we forgot about the size of the occasion and our nerves and got back into the game. The lads didn't play to their potential in that first half-hour, and I can't put that down to anything but nerves. But I thought we played terrifically well in the second half and were unfortunate not to score more goals.

Of course, we've also got to be better defensively, but we've seen in the second half today that there is a way you can get behind this Liverpool side and score goals. We have the ability - not least through Andy Carroll - to hurt them at Anfield, where they may be the ones who are nervous. We've not seen the best of Kazenga LuaLua today. He's been carrying a bit of an injury but should be fully fit and raring to go for the second game. We've now got a week to reflect, do more work and get ourselves ready for what is a very big test. But this tie is not over by any means.'

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