Riko Robinson came close to giving Forest an early lead just one minute into the match, but his shot went wide of Fred Heath’s right post. This set the stage for a back-and-forth exchange of chances in the opening moments.
Kalum Thompson, representing the hosts, and Jim Thwaites from United were responsible for the best early opportunities. Thwaites, known for his skill on set pieces, missed two free-kick attempts but would later make a significant impact from a similar situation. Meanwhile, Thompson, a 16-year-old Northern Irish winger who is a regular on Forest’s U21 team, forced Heath into making two solid saves, with the United goalkeeper diving to his left for the second effort. Ultimately, it was Fuad Smith, another standout from the U21 squad, who put the hosts in the lead, as Forest capitalized on a failed counter-attack from United. Overlapping left-back Spencer Sutton made a perfect cutback for Smith, who finished from the center of the box.
Though United found themselves behind at halftime, they were invigorated by some excellent play from Gabriel—an U15 who was stepping up for the senior team—who won a free-kick on the left wing. Thwaites delivered a superb cross that Kukonki managed to flick into the bottom right corner, leveling the score.
