First-half goals from Danny Drinkwater and Ritchie De Laet gave United's Reserves a thoroughly-deserved win over Everton at Moss Lane.
Zoran Tosic struck the woodwork three times and a host of other chances went begging as United dominated, and the visitors only sparked into life in the final 15 minutes.
United were ahead after just eight minutes. A neat passing move was interrupted when Lee Martin trod on the ball on the edge of the Everton area. Three visiting defenders went for the loose ball, however, allowing Martin to regain possession, fashion space and tee up Drinkwater to prod home.
Ten minutes later, the lead was doubled. Magnus Eikrem's free-kick deflected off the defensive wall and was looping wide, until it met the run of De Laet who adjusted brilliantly to cushion home a header, his first goal for United.
Everton's forward line seemed content to chance their collective arm from distance, but rarely called Ben Amos into any action other than taking subsequent goal kicks. The closest the visitors came to a first half goal was when Hope Akpan beat Amos to a flighted free-kick, but headed wastefully over.
Tosic came agonisingly close to opening his United account on two occasions, but was thwarted by the crossbar both times. Firstly, his close-range shot was brilliantly tipped onto the frame of the goal by Lars Stubhaug. A minute before the break, the Serb fashioned space and curled a right-footer
against the bar from 10 yards.
Ten minutes after the restart, Tosic came close again. Eikrem embarked on a surging run down the right and picked out his colleague on the opposite flank, only for the Serb's volley to arrow just wide of the far post.
By now, United's dominance was total, and it took some heroic defending from the visitors to keep out Drinkwater, whose effort was saved by substitute keeper Michael Jensen, and Martin, whose pair of shots were both hacked off the line by Aristote Nsiala.
The visitors briefly rallied in the final 20 minutes, as James Vaughan first chipped off target with Amos stranded, then drew a close-range save from the England youth international.
United's response was merely to crank up the pressure again, and Drinkwater came close with a low left-footer which Jensen did well to palm out. Tosic also completed a hat-trick of sorts, drilling a 20-yarder against the far post, but two goals proved comfortably enough for the Reds.
United: Amos; Eckersley, C Evans, De Laet, Gill; Eikrem (Galbraith 81), Possebon, Drinkwater, Tosic; Martin (Stewart 71); Welbeck (James 59).
Subs not used: Devlin, Dudgeon.