- JJ Gabriel reacts to Man Utd FA Youth Cup loss
- Reds beaten 2-1 by Man City
- Darren Fletcher also comments
JJ Gabriel remained upbeat following Manchester United‘s heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Manchester City in the FA Youth Cup final. The Reds were beaten at Joie Stadium and will somehow end the season trophyless.
City took the lead just five minutes before half-time when Floyd Samba’s 25-yard free kick gave Cameron Byrne-Hughes no chance. The visitors responded just two minutes later when Godwill Kukonki headed home a superb Jim Thwaites cross.
The Citizens prevailed late on when Reigan Heskey, son of Emile Heskey, smashed home a winner. It was a devastating defeat for Darren Fletcher’s side who also missed out on the Premier League U18 Cup earlier this month.
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“Win Some Lose Some” – JJ Gabriel on City Loss
Gabriel wasn’t at his usual best, unable to conjure up his magic against a resilient City defence. The exciting wonderkid has been unbelievable this season and won the U18 Premier League Player of the Season award days ago.
The 15-year-old, who is set to be included in United’s pre-season, responded to the loss with a post on Instagram. He wrote:
“You win some you lose some. Best lessons are learned from losing. Didn’t come this far to only go this far. On a personal note delighted to win Premier League U18 Player of Season as U15. One last thing to do on Sunday at Old Trafford then can’t wait to have a break. See you next season.”
Gabriel’s response will enthuse fans as it speaks volumes of his character and determination. He has world class potential and clearly the right mentality to fulfil it.
Missing out on another trophy is a massive disappointment for United’s U18’s who have been excellent this season. Gabriel has been crucial, bagging 26 goals and four assists in 28 games across competitions.
“Learn More From Defeat” – Darren Fletcher on City Loss
Fletcher echoed Gabriel’s sentiment when reacting to the defeat to City. The Scot pointed out how close his side have come to a trophy this season:
“Disappointing for the players, they’re the ones that are sitting in there having lost the game, really, in terms of the efforts that they’ve put in all season. We sit here having lost two finals and finished second in the league.“
He added:
“And we’ve had lots of amazing performances, lots of improvement individually and as a team. We’ve come up a little bit short tonight. I think my disappointment is for them, because I feel for them, it’s not easy.“
Fletcher took positives from the loss and is focused on helping his United youngsters continue to develop:
“But you learn more from defeat and it’s a big part of being a footballer, so we’ve got to use that to drive themselves forward, to become better players and become a better team in the future.“
While there will be no trophy for Fletcher and his players, they can be proud of what they’ve achieved. There are many gems shining at youth level including Gabriel, Noah Ajayi and Thwaites.
