Eikrem supplied the ammunition and Ajose found the target

The Manchester Senior Cup tie between Manchester United Reserves vs Bolton Reserves was definitely a match of two halves. The first half was dull and was more physical battle of aggression than a football contest, but the second was thoroughly entertaining. MagnusEikrem took the game by the scruff and ran the show, distributing the ball intelligently setting off team mates into good space down the flanks, as well as down the middle.

United fired a few warning shots before drawing first blood through Nick Ajose, who had the best chance of the first half saved before a Robbie Brady goal was wrongfully disallowed for being off-side.

Gabriel Obertan showed good body strength, as well as a great leap to get past Bolton’s defense and put in a tantalizing cross, which Ajose headed just wide the upright.

Ajose, however, avenged the miss by going on to grab his first hat-trick in the reserves. The first was the result of good work from Corry Evans, which saw Ajose released through the middle and fire a lobbed shot past the Bolton keeper. Ajose then fired in a second after nice wing play and a good cross from Obertan, before netting the third and best goal of the match.

The in-form Magnus Eikrem played a perfectly-weighted cross, which floated over the Bolton defense and dropped perfectly for Ajose to stab home.

John Cofie added gloss to the scoreline by scoring the fourth after some neat passes from United’s second string saw Obertan put the ball in Cofie’s path who found the back of the net with typical, instinctive aplomb. The Ghanaian born striker is in fantastic form and just can’t stop scoring.

United: Devlin; R Brown, Wootton, Fryers, Gill; C Evans, Eikrem, Obertan; Brady (Tunnicliffe, 72), Ajose (Hussain, 79), Stewart (Cofie, 72).
Sub not used: Johnstone.

Individual highlights of Gabriel Obertan: