U23 Professional Development League
Team: Dickinson, Kakay, Domi, Bettache, Kefalas, Gubbins, Duke-McKenna, Duncan, Oteh, Bansal-McNulty, Alfa.
Sub Not Used: Middlehurst
On a Bank Holiday Monday afternoon at Harlington, the temperature hovered around the 32-degree mark.
Themis Kefalas captained the side and it was good to see the return of Osman Kakay after five months. Nineteen-year-old trialist Stephen Duke-McKenna has since been given a short-term contract until 11th January 2020.
The visitors got off to an assertive start, which soon required some excellent tidying up by Faysal Bettache near the bye-line. Then on four minutes Tyla Dickinson made a superb full-length save from Jake Young’s volley and a minute later the Blades took the lead.
But Rangers began to pick up their game. Aramide Oteh was put through and he forced the keeper to make a good stop with his legs.
Stephen Duke-McKenna received a wonderful pass out on the right-wing and Ody Alfa headed his cross over the crossbar.
On 27 minutes Deshane Dalling came on for Aramide Oteh.
Themis Kefalas headed over from Amrit Bansal-McNulty’s free kick.
A deserved equaliser came five minutes before the break after a scramble in the box. Osman Kakay belted the loose ball superbly into the back of the net from the edge of the area.
Bansal-McNulty created a good opportunity when he knocked the ball into the box, but Dylan Duncan’s acrobatic attempt went off a defender for a corner.
A clash of heads left the United player worse off and he was down for some time in need of some attention. Half-time: 1-1.
Paul Hall introduced Kayden Williams-Lowe at the expense of Osman Kakay for the start of the second-half.
Rangers took the lead on three minutes after Deshane Dalling had bombed down the left-wing. He set-up Duke-McKenna lurking at the far post who had the easy task of a simple tap in.
Mr Gilroy booked Themis Kefalas seemingly for kicking the ball away?
The Blades equalised from a free kick taken on the edge of the ‘D’. George Broadbent curled the ball into the corner with Tyla Dickinson rooted to the spot.
On 62 minutes Nathan Carlyle replaced Themis Kefalas.
The visitors re-took the lead when Jake Young slotted the ball low into the bottom corner following a neat dribble that took him past two R’s defenders in the box.
On 78 minutes Joe Gubbins stepped up to take a free kick. His strike took a deflection as it passed Marcus Dewhurst.
Kayden Williams-Lowe took control of the ball from his own area, moved upfield and then nicely laid off a good ball to set up an attack.
In the latter stages Mr Gilroy showed Faysal Bettache a yellow card and then three minutes from time, Deshane Dalling won it for the R’s when he blasted the ball low into the corner of the net.
Amongst those spotted on the sidelines were Paul Furlong, Aaron Drewe and Charley Kendall.
Steve Russell