Kenny keeps cool to pass Valdes test

Kenny McEvoy talked us through a somewhat surreal moment as he fired our Under-21s ahead at Old Trafford.

“I took a look up, I’m facing Victor Valdes and I thought ‘hang on, is this the right game?’ but I saw him make an early move and slotted the ball past him the other way,” reflected the winger after finishing cool as you like on the big stage.

Kenny kept his nerve after latching onto Joe Rothwell’s loose square pass in the top-of-the-table Barclays Under-21 Premier League clash.

He still had plenty to do, however, but he skipped around last man Donald Love before finishing clinically past a goalkeeper who won six La Liga titles and three European Cups in a sparkling career at Barcelona.

“You have to be in the moment and not think ‘it’s Victor Valdes’ and try to concentrate on the finish,” added Kenny, currently on loan at League One side Colchester but able to play for our Under-21s as part of his loan terms.

“I just thought ‘it’s just another goalkeeper, slot it past him’ and managed to do that.”

Kenny’s goal came during our best spell at Old Trafford between the 20 and 60-minute marks but United drew level on 32 minutes when Rafael lobbed home from 30 yards.

Cameron Carter-Vickers struck the crossbar on 56 minutes but in the end we had to defend stoutly as United, who started with Valdes, Rafael, Radamel Falcao and James Wilson, pushed on late for a winner.

“I thought we played well out from the back but we could have done more in forward areas, showed a bit more penetration,” added Kenny.

“United didn’t make it easy for us as you’d expect at Old Trafford. We still managed to put balls into the box, we hit the crossbar and created half-chances as well. Overall, we competed well.”

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