If Travis Binnion closed his eyes and pictured the perfect goal for his Under-21 side, it might look something like Ethan Ennis’ opening goal against Altrincham on Tuesday night.
It was a proper Manchester United goal: ruthless counter-attacking and quality. Jack Moorhouse picked up the ball in his own half, shrugged off two Altrincham players who were desperate to foul him, drove forward with purpose and picked out Ennis who was waiting on the left.
Moorhouse did exceptionally well to keep the ball, never mind pick the right pass, and Ennis composed himself before brilliantly placing a lofted shot in the top right corner.
Binnion looked delighted and Altrincham’s in-house radio commentator couldn’t help but praise Moorhouse and Ennis, who combined in deadly fashion to give United the lead.
ALSO READ: United receive huge Kobbie Mainoo injury boost
ALSO READ: Amorim must disrupt partnership that Van Nistelrooy created
Ennis wasn’t done there, though. The confidence was flowing through his veins and he popped up exactly 10 minutes later to double the advantage with a similar finish into the top right.
It was Harry Amass who did the leg work on that occasion. The youngster found himself in unfamiliar territory down the right flank and played a low, driven cross into the box. It deflected out and Amir Ibragimov tried his luck but Ennis was the one in clover when he picked the ball up.
Sometimes your ‘luck is in’ and the ball fortuitously fell to Ennis but there was nothing fluky about the finish, with the in-form 19-year-old curling a shot into the roof of the net again.
The first half was the Ethan Ennis show and an Altrincham played looked sick of playing against him when he executed an outstanding turn and lost his marker after the half hour mark. Ennis subsequently lost the ball after that turn and Altrincham’s commentator sounded relieved.
“He comes Ennis again. He’s been excellent again, hasn’t he? He’s really lively,” he said just before the interval. Ennis is enjoying an excellent season – he is a goal threat in each game – and his brace in the first half took his tally to eight goals and two assists in 12 academy appearances.
So what you might be wondering, could Ennis be pushing to make his first-team debut? The answer is he should be. It was a big deal when United signed Ennis from Liverpool in August 2021 but disaster struck a year later when he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee.
He has done superbly to get back up to speed since returning in the middle of last season and a source has said his professionalism in and out of training hasn’t gone unnoticed at United.
Ennis was rewarded with a new United contract in the summer, as his previous deal with the club expired in the summer of 2025, and he was challenged to deliver consistently strong performances – throughout the entire 90 minutes of a match – by his coaches in the academy.
Whether Ennis is given an opportunity to play for the first-team remains to be seen, but he can’t do much more in academy games and seems guaranteed to enjoy a fulfilling career. He produced a goal in the final seconds for his hat-trick and is a youngster worth closely watching.
Moorhouse also deserves a notable mention. The 18-year-old was substituted after the hour mark and deserved the applause he received from the United fans among the 3,663 in attendance. His ability to drive forward with the ball at speed is a huge asset and will stand him apart.
Altrincham finally got into the contest as the game progressed after the interval – they couldn’t deal with the aggressive pressing in the first half – but United continued to defend well.
Amass, Jack Kingdon, Louis Jackson and Habeeb Ogunneye have all regularly been around first-team training at Carrington and looked unflustered against a physical Altrincham team.
Alongside Ennis, those four players are pushing to make their debuts. Amass, Jackson and Ogunneye, who captained the U21s, were involved with several first-team squads due to injuries last season and Kingdon went to school with Ogunneye, so they have been on similar journeys.
United opened their National League Cup campaign with a 3-2 victory against Forest Green Rovers last month and Ibragimov’s tap-in , which came before Ennis wrapped it up, made it 3-0.
The exciting 16-year-old, who started in attacking midfield, has been likened to Wayne Rooney but his goal against Altrincham was the easiest he’ll score in his career. Ibragimov had an empty goal at his mercy and it was the reward for working tirelessly years above his usual age group.
United have made a perfect start to the competition, winning both of their games, and Ennis will be looking to score again in the final group game. He is becoming impossible to ignore.
