Match reportKone-Doherty double helps U18s down Stoke

Jayden Danns opened the scoring for the Reds while Nathan Lowe and Ali Hayder both struck for the Potters.

Kone-Doherty’s rebounded effort following a penalty 11 minutes from time, though, handed Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s outfit all three points in the U18 Premier League North contest.

Liverpool dominated much of the early exchanges and had a lead in the ninth minute with Danns reacting quickest to tap home from close range following a save from Tommy Jackson.

It took the visitors just two minutes to respond having fallen behind as captain Lowe capped off a fine individual run to curl the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

The Reds were ahead again just before the 20-minute mark, Kone-Doherty spinning his man to race in behind and finish with ease.

Ranel Young proved a nuisance on the right-hand side, firing two deliveries across the face of goal in quick succession ahead of the interval.

Following the change of ends, City began on the front foot looking to level with Lowe seeing a low shot and then a free header saved from inside the six-yard box.

The Potters had their second just after the hour mark with their persistence paying off, Hayder drilling a shot into the far corner from distance to even the contest up.

Both teams battled for supremacy in the following minutes, and it was a decisive break from Liverpool that saw the game swing the hosts’ way.

Young darted into the area to tap past the onrushing Jackson, leaving no option but for a penalty to be awarded.

Kone-Doherty saw his shot from 12 yards initially saved by the Stoke stopper, though reacted quickest to knock home the rebound.

The No.11 almost had his hat-trick in added time as he found space to race through, but he was denied by an impressive last-ditch tackle from Christy Logan in the final meaningful action.

Liverpool U18s: Mrozek, Gyimah, Giblin, Samuels, Hayes-Green, Pilling, Young (Gift, 90+5), Laffey, Danns (Figueroa, 88), Pennington (Kelly, 71), Kone-Doherty.

Unused substitute: Hewitson.