The late, legendary Liam Whelan would surely have approved. Football being played as it should be by talented young footballers hopeful of making it in the professional game.
Fittingly, to commemorate the memory of Whelan, tragically killed along with seven other "Busby Babes" in the Munich air crash of 40 years ago, the match was entertaining viewing for a somewhat disappointing crowd of some 1,200.
Three years ago the Neville brothers, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes enthralled a 4,000 crowd at Whitehall and the conveyor belt at Old Trafford continues to bring the talent through.
United, as expected, held the aces with the names of winger Luke Chadwick and, in particular on this evidence, Alex Notman, a hard working skilful striker, who embellished his display with a hat-trick, ones to keep an eye out for in the near future.
Notman, who has played and scored for the first team, albeit in a testimonial, took the eye from the kick-off and might have scored twice in the opening 10 minutes.
He skipped by Ryan Cawley as if he wasn't there to force a good save from Home Farm's busy goalkeeper, Vincent McCarthy, on seven minutes; a minute later he volleyed wide on the turn.
United started as if they would overrun a Home Farm side that looked outclassed, but one that, for the most part, defended honestly and well.
David Healy, Notman's fellow striker, shot over the top, had another shot saved while Colin Monaghan bravely blocked a third after a delightful sweeping move involving Chadwick and Notman.
Inevitably, United scored on 29 minutes. Jason Hickson's played Notman through the middle and he ran on to casually shoot past McCarthy.
Home Farm remained composed, however, and equalised with a stunning strike eight minutes into the second-half. Alan Pike touched a free-kick square to Damien Clancy and found the top right hand corner of the net with a perfect right foot drive from 25 yards.
Notman punished a defensive error to drill home a deep cross from Dominic Studley after 70 minutes. A minute later Healy ended the contest with a third from 20 yards with man of the match Notman completing his hat-trick when rounding McCarthy for United's fourth 11 minutes from the end.
Home Farm: McCarthy; Roche, Cawley, Monaghan, Mooney; O'Grady, Clancy, Holt, Drew; Pike, Maher. Subs: Malone for Clancy (77 mins.), Fitzsimons for Mooney (80 mins.), Glynn, King and Costello for McCarthy, O'Grady and Drew (all 84 mins.).
Manchester United: Marsh; Rose, O'Shea, Roche, Hilton; Hickson, Whiteley, Cosgrove, Chadwick; Healy, Notman. Subs: Studley, Stewart and Clegg for Cosgrove, Hickson and Whiteley (all 64 mins.), Rachubka and Wheatcroft for Marsh and Chadwick (both 78 mins.).
Referee: J McDermott (Dublin).
