Nottingham Forest were beaten 3-1 by Manchester United in the final of the FA Youth Cup at Old Trafford last night.
Josh Powell had equalised Rhys Bennett’s opener just before half-time but a late brace by Alejandro Garnacho broke Forest’s resistance.
The Reds can take a lot of heart from their run to the final and ultimately they deserved more from last night’s game.
Following the Theatre of Dreams contest, we looked at the three best Forest players from last night’s contest.
Pharrell Johnson
The uncompromising central defender was brilliant at the heart of the Reds’ defence.
He showcased a maturity way beyond his tender years and his left-footed nature brought balance to the defensive unit.
Johnson stands head and shoulders above his teammates in height and that presence helped him win several aerial challenges last night.
The teenager enjoyed playing out from the back and that will be a useful trait that puts him in good shape for the future.
Dale Taylor
The Northern Ireland international was outstanding at Old Trafford last night.
He’s already built like a man and it’s perhaps no surprise that Steve Cooper placed him on the bench for the recent 5-1 win over Swansea City.
Taylor is a nightmare for defenders given that he’s constantly on the move and always looking to move into pockets of space.
Supporters will have left Old Trafford convinced that the striker will have a big future on Trentside.
Josh Powell
The scorer of Forest’s goal and the player with a left foot akin to former Reds star Andy Reid.
Powell was simply superb in last night’s final and he thoroughly deserved to score for the Reds just before half-time.
It wasn’t just his goal that caught the eye though. He was hardworking, determined and showed resilience to keep going when he was dispossessed.
His delivery from set-pieces was brilliant and Powell is definitely one to watch within the Forest academy.