The young Reds made the brighter start and were the first team that looked to trouble the scoreline, although Sam Mather’s curling effort from the left, following a well-worked free-kick, whistled just wide of the far post.
United stayed on top, although were kept honest by City midfielder Nico O’Reilly charging down goalkeeper Hubert Graczyk’s attempted clearance, with the ball narrowly evading the target.
Blues defender Jahmai Simpson Pusey deflected a cross onto his own woodwork, while Jack Fletcher went close to nudging us ahead with a low strike that was off target, but it was the visitors who took the lead into half-time, after Farid Alfa-Ruprecht pounced on a misplaced defensive header, rounded Graczyk and finished into an empty net.