Man United Reserves 2, Sunderland Reserves 0

Nov 30 2007 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

JONNY Evans and Danny Simpson gave their prospective new boss Roy Keane further reasons to snap them up when the transfer window re-opens on New Year’s Day.

If the Manchester United duo hadn’t impressed Keane enough last season, the defenders gave him a reminder of their attributes as they shut out Sunderland’s reserves last night.

Evans and Simpson are reportedly top of Keane’s January shopping list, and they both lined up against the Black Cats as the Devils strolled to a comfortable win. It might have been more had it not been for Sunderland’s Northern Ireland Under-21s goalkeeper Trevor Carson, who pulled off several first-half saves.

Chris Eagles broke the deadlock just before the hour mark when he curled a 20-yard effort into

Carson’s bottom corner.

Both goalkeepers were kept busy but it wasn’t until the first minute of injury time when the home side made it two, 18-year-old striker Febian Brandy breaking free to score.

Sunderland coach Neil Bailey said: “Trevor kept us in the match for the best part of it, but it was a tough game. United had a young side out as well but they had the likes of Jonny and Danny in defence and we all know about them.

“It was a good test for us, though.

“We created one or two chances for ourselves and we’ve forced their goalkeeper into a couple of saves – they scored the clincher in injury-time so we were never out of it.”

MANCHESTER UNITED RESERVES: Heaton; Simpson, Cleverley, J Evans, Chester, Lee, Eagles, Hewson, Brandy, Dong (Welbeck 76), Barnes. Subs (not used): S Evans, Zieler, Eckersley, Fagan.

Goals: Eagles 59, Brandy 90

SUNDERLAND RESERVES: Carson, Kay (Weir 76), Hartley, Kavanagh, Donoghue, Pelter, Dowson, Henderson, Connolly, O’Donovan, Waghorn (Luscombe 84). Subs (not used): Richardson, Colback.