Match reportLiverpool U18s hit four in victory over Man Utd

Trent Kone-Doherty marked a productive opening half for the Reds with strikes on eight and 35 minutes respectively in Kirkby.

Sam Murray briefly halved the away side’s deficit at the outset of the second period but Terence Miles’ header and James McConnell’s clinical drive sent the hosts clear.

Manni Norkett smashed in a late penalty for United but the home team had already done enough to secure all three points in U18 Premier League North.

Liverpool began with an energy and intensity befitting of a game against rivals United.

And they could have led within two minutes as Ben Doak snatched possession on the right flank and drove forward to feed a pass into Lewis Koumas, who sliced his shot wide to the left of goal from inside the box.

They did not pass up their next chance, however. Fabian Mrozek’s long knock from the back was miscontrolled by a United defender and Kone-Doherty seized on the error to surge through, shimmy around the goalkeeper and tuck the ball home.

Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s Reds soon threatened a second, with Doak launching a speedy counter-attack. The No.7’s low finish was well saved by Tom Wooster and Koumas was forced too wide on the rebound.

Doak saw strong appeals for a penalty rejected when he appeared to be tripped in the area by Sonny Aljofree, while Mrozek had to make a smart stop to thwart Maxi Oyedele’s effort.

It was Liverpool who struck again, though, and it was a second of the morning for Kone-Doherty.

This time he rounded off a lovely team move as McConnell slid a pass into Doak in the right channel and he clipped across the face of goal for Kone-Doherty to capitalise at the far post.

United rallied in response and Mrozek had to produce a reaction save when Louis Jackson redirected a left-wing free-kick with a flicked header that was on course for the bottom right corner.

The Reds ’keeper also repelled a Sam Mather drive, while Afolami Onanuga side-footed too high from a promising position at the other end.

The visitors did not return to the dressing room at the interval as they plotted a response – and United produced one almost immediately upon the restart.

Aljofree headed against the crossbar from a corner-kick delivery and when the ball remained alive and came out to Murray, he found a route to slot it past Mrozek.

Kone-Doherty created a shooting chance for himself by quick response, showing strength and skill to find space for a bouncing 20-yarder that Wooster tipped away to his right.

But Liverpool were celebrating again on 53 minutes.

A free-kick from the right edge of the opposition penalty box picked out Miles and he guided a looping header over Wooster as he darted out and into the net.

And the Reds put the game beyond doubt midway through the half, with Doak heavily involved with a dynamic dribble into the United box from the flank.

The attacker was eventually halted in his havoc-making but McConnell was on hand at the ‘D’ to thread a precise finish inside the left post for 4-1.

Liverpool’s healthy advantage was preserved by another excellent Mrozek save, getting a touch on Norkett’s prod from close range to deflect wide.

Norkett got his goal late on with an emphatic penalty finish after substitute Ranel Young brought Murray down inside the area, and the United forward needed medical attention due to a stoppage-time injury, as Bridge-Wilkinson’s charges saw out their second league win of 2022-23.

Liverpool U18s: Mrozek, Osborne, Gyimah, Miles, Hayes-Green (Giblin, 22), Laffey (Danns, 81), Doak (Young, 81), Onanuga, Koumas, McConnell, Kone-Doherty.

Unused substitutes: Hewitson, Pennington.