Ajayi double and Gabriel fire Man Utd U18s to 3-1 win ahead of FA Youth Cup final

Noah Ajayi hit a double and JJ Gabriel was also on target as Manchester United U18s finished the season with a 3-1 win over Stoke.

Jerome Kyremeh had fired Stoke into a first-half lead but United hit back after the break at Carrington.

Darren Fletcher's team finish the league season in second position, ahead of Thursday's FA Youth Cup final against Manchester City at the Joie Stadium.

Elliot Fearn crossed for Pul Makavore combined who narrowly missed the target for Stoke moments on from Jay McEvoy rippling the top of the Stoke netting with a 25-yard curling attempt.

A fast-paced start to the final U18 Premier League encounter brought the opening goal for the visitors, just before the half-hour mark.

The Potters were quickest to get back up to speed after a brief pause in play for an injury to Oghosaiwi Enabulele, as Kyremeh met Ryan Liu's cutback with an emphatic first-time finish from just inside the 18-yard area.

Gabriel threatened to make Stoke's lead brief with a free-kick that he whipped wide of the near post, after getting it up and over the wall, before United's Rafe McCormack prevented the deficit growing, producing an acrobatic goal line clearance from a Fearn effort that was heading in.

United began to take charge with Gabriel forcing good saves out of goalkeeper Benjamin Chivers, before Ajayi had a 45th-minute equaliser ruled out for handball. Lusale's ball in from the right had unintentionally stuck his arm prior to a clinical finish.

Not long after the restart torrential rain complicated the game but United continued to push forward with Gabriel hitting a post before Ajayi equalised in the 56th minute.

The German winger had drifted inside from the left flank and, after taking a ball forward brilliantly on the turn, he navigated between several Stoke defenders and powered a low drive along the soaked turf, which beat Chivers from outside the penalty area.

United grew in confidence with McEvoy and Ajayi going close with shots narrowly off target. Gabriel then forced Chivers to save with his feet from a tight angle and Amir Ibragimov struck the crossbar.

The perseverance from Fletcher's side was rewarded with a goal 13 minutes from time.

Some excellent wing play from Ajayi saw him get to the byline on the left and pull the ball back for Gabriel in the centre, who sidefooted his right-footed effort across the target and into the far bottom corner, to make it 2-1.

Having set that one up, there was still time for Ajayi to double his own tally for the day, in the 87th minute. The winger slammed home another United cutback, delivered on this occasion by Bass Nkoto, who burst forward strongly on the left.

Gabriel then nearly made it a brace for himself, but for a one-on-one stop from Chivers, before Junior Brown - a late substitute - shot narrowly wide moments after coming on, with one of the final chances.

United: Byrne-Hughes; Overy, McCormack (Helafu 46), Mills, Plunkett; McEvoy (B. Nkoto 64), Ibragimov (c) (Brown 87), D. Nkoto (Bradbury 64); Lusale, Gabriel, Ajayi.

Goal: Ajayi 56, 87, Gabriel 77.

Stoke: Chivers; Frost, Thompson, Eyaife; Fearn, Enabulele (Nixon 26), Liu, Achu, Nzau (c) (Martin 59); Makavore (Chigwada 59 (Ogbebor73)), Kyremeh.

Goal: Kyremeh 27.