Reigan Heskey's 87th-minute winner at the Joie Stadium decided the tie in Manchester City's favour, completing a remarkable turnaround from a Manchester United equaliser. Floyd Samba's stunning free-kick had put City ahead before Godwill Kukonki levelled almost immediately. The second half belonged largely to City, and Heskey's late winner extended their record to five FA Youth Cup titles.
Fletcher spoke after the final whistle.
"Disappointing for the players — they're the ones sitting in there having lost the game, really, in terms of the efforts that they've put in all season. We sit here having lost two finals and finished second in the league."
"We've had lots of amazing performances, lots of improvement individually and as a team. We've come up a little bit short tonight. My disappointment is for them, because I feel for them — it's not easy."
He was candid about United's failure to perform to the standard they had set across the campaign.
"I think my disappointment is that we didn't quite bring our level to the game tonight, which is probably the thing they'll be most disappointed on when they review and reflect."
"You can see the nerves — too many ball losses, too many turnovers against a really good Man City team with two fantastic wide players who are going to cause problems. If the game becomes open and transitional, it's going to be tough, and it's not really our style that we've had all season. We've had a lot of control from high levels of possession, which means that you run less and you have to defend less. That wasn't the case tonight."
Fletcher said he kept his post-match message to the players brief.
"I didn't say too much because it's not the time — they're really disappointed. I said I was proud of them for the season they've had, for the efforts they've put in. But you learn more from defeat. It's a big part of being a footballer, so we've got to use that to drive themselves forward, to become better players and become a better team in the future."
JJ Gabriel, United's outstanding player of the season and winner of the U18 Premier League Player of the Year award, was unable to produce a decisive moment on the night despite linking well with Chido Obi.
Both Michael Carrick and Pep Guardiola attended the final, along with several senior players from both clubs.