United's under-18s fell to a 3-2 defeat against Blackpool in the Youth Alliance League on Saturday morning despite goals from Anton Dudik and James Walsh.
Mark Birch's side took on Blackpool at Creighton in the Youth Alliance league, looking to make it four victories in a row and maintain their unbeaten home record in 2024.
It was Blackpool who dominated the early exchanges of the game repeatedly testing Jacob Barry in the United goal. The visitors also had the luxury of the wind behind their backs and continued to apply pressure on the United defence with countless balls played over the top.
The early Blackpool pressure was rewarded as after 17 minutes, they took the lead through Jibran Ahmed after he capitalized on a loose backpass and was left with Barry to beat.
United continued to struggle in the difficult conditions and remained on the back foot following the opening goal.
After half an hour, Blackpool doubled their lead. Layton Campbell took the ball down the right wing and fired a low cross across the six-yard-box to Terry Bondo who applied the finishing touch.
Minutes later, Barry made a great save to deny Ahmed from adding a third as he produced a strong hand to deny the Blackpool winger from doubling his goal tally.
On 40 minutes, Anton Dudik found himself in a bit of space behind the Blackpool defence but he dragged his effort wide.
Two minutes before half-time, two became three for the visitors, this time through Campbell. A long-ball over the top caught Barry in two minds whether to go for the ball or not and Campbell ran onto it and finished off from a tight angle to give the visitors a 3-0 as both sides headed into the break.
Half-time: United 0-3 Blackpool
Into the second-half and United immediately began playing on the front foot with the strong winds aiding their efforts to get back into the game.
Eight minutes after the restart, United pulled a goal back through Dudik. A lapse in concentration amongst the Blackpool defence presented Dudik with possesion of the ball on the egde of the box who took his shot quickly and found the back of the net.
Four minutes after Dudik's strike, the Blackpool lead was reduced to one goal. A deep corner from James Murray had evaded everyone in the box except James Walsh at the back post who scrambled the ball home.
As the minutes ticked by, frustrations began to grow for United as they created countless chances but were yet to find the goal once more.
In the final minute of the alloted 90, another Murray corner found the head of Walsh, who was unmarked, but he couldn't make enough connection with the header and glanced it wide of the back post.
United had one final chance to draw the game in the fifth minute of additonal time, as Freddie O'Donoghue picked up the ball in the box and managed to dribble around Blackpool 'keeper Spinelli before laying it off to Dudik to level the game, but he put his effort wide and the full-time whislte blew.
Full-time: United 2-3 Blackpool
Starting: Barry, Maddison (Mason 86'), Chapman (Rigby 75'), Walsh, O'Brien, Skinner, Hopper (Nicholson 46'), Murray, Dudik, Swinburn, O'Donoghue.
Unused subs: Randall, Fleming.
United goals: Dudik (53'), Walsh (57')
