FA Youth Cup 2nd round: Blackburn Rovers 1 Manchester United 1

AN equaliser five minutes from time by David Healy denied Blackburn Rovers the place they should have had in the third round of the FA Youth Cup at Ewood last night.

After an evenly-fought opening period, Rovers' youngsters took command of the game and dominated their rivals.

Inspired by an outstanding first-half performance from David Dunn, they should have gone in with an interval lead and, shortly after half-time, Keith Brown headed onto the bar from Dunn's cross.

But United held out until the 69th minute when Gary Hamilton headed home from Dunn's driven corner.

Hamilton gave the United defence a chasing in the second half but Rovers couldn't find the finishing quality to match some other impressive work. Goalkeeper Gareth Stewart made a good save in each half from John Thorrington and Healy but United posed little threat after the interval until they made the decisive 85th-minute break.

Richard Wellens slipped the ball through a gaping hole in the Rovers defence and Healy, with time and space, calmly placed it in the corner.

It was rough on Rovers but they needed to sharpen up their work in the final third of the pitch to reap their just rewards.

Dunn, playing his first game after a knee injury, is the driving force in the team and he was unlucky not to score himself, forming a business-like midfield partnership with Garth Scates.

The teams now meet again at Old Trafford next Monday, when United will be keen to make the most of their escape.

ROVERS: Stewart, Richardson, Taylor, Brown, Murphy, McAvoy, Dunn, Scates, Ryan, Woodfield, Hamilton. Subs: Forsyth (for Ryan 57 mins), Connolly (for Woodfield 78 mins), Topley.

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