Match reportLiverpool U21s held to stalemate by Chelsea in Premier League 2

The Reds were on top for spells and created several strong chances during Sunday afternoon’s encounter, most notably hitting the crossbar via a Billy Koumetio header.

But despite continuing to push right until the end, the home team were held at bay by the second-placed visitors at the Academy.

A goalless opening half in Kirkby was not one without opportunities.

Chelsea created their first on eight minutes when an attack down the left saw Harvey Vale break into the box, but his low cross was brilliantly cut out and cleared by Owen Beck before a blue shirt could connect.

Liverpool went even closer soon after, with Koumetio thwarted by the crossbar. Up from the back, the central defender met an inswinging Dominic Corness corner kick from the right with a header that unfortunately struck the woodwork.

Ben Doak, a frequent threat on his return to the side, sent a decent chance too close to visiting goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, as did Mateusz Musialowski having been teed up with space inside the area by Bobby Clark.

Slonina was forced into significant action twice more before the interval as Barry Lewtas’ Reds upped the ante in their efforts to find a breakthrough.

Beck charged forward along his left flank and was denied from a tight angle, while another Musialowski strike was saved, this time with Slonina having to foil Melkamu Frauendorf on the rebound.

That pattern continued beyond the half-time pause and Chelsea’s ’keeper had to produce an excellent stop as Doak beat his marker and fired in at goal from the right.

Liverpool then had a penalty appeal rejected shortly before the hour mark.

Clark’s blocked strike fell to Frauendorf, who turned nicely inside the area and went down as an arm came across him – but the hosts’ claims were waved away.

Koumetio attempted to repeat the scoring-from-his-own-half trick he achieved against Paris Saint-Germain last month; on this occasion, however, the long-ranger landed just over the frame of the goal.

And Slonina was the Reds’ nemesis one more time in the closing stages, palming away a fine Luca Stephenson effort from the edge of the box to ensure the full-time whistle arrived without a mark on the scoresheet.

TEAM

Liverpool U21s: Davies, Jonas, Beck, Williams, Koumetio, Corness, Doak, Stephenson, Musialowski (Woltman, 66), Clark, Frauendorf (Blair, 70).

Unused substitutes: Hughes, Pilling.

NEXT UP

The young Reds are at home in Premier League 2 again next weekend, with Leicester City the visitors in a 2pm GMT kick-off on Saturday.