AcademyU18s match report: Eight goals as Liverpool begin pre-season against Accrington

It was the visitors who emerged 5-3 winners in a game played over three 30-minute periods and with the usual multiple substitutions of a friendly.

Anjola Popoola netted a hat-trick for Accrington, while Ollie O’Connor, Schofield Lonmeni and Kareem Ahmed were the Reds’ scorers.

Marc Bridge-Wilkinson's side had the better of the early exchanges and a lovely Joe Upton tackle allowed Joe Bradshaw to release Josh Sonni-Lambie in on goal – but the offside flag denied him what looked a certain goal.

Prince Kobe Cisse shot narrowly wide before Accrington responded with a curling shot that hit the post and a header from a corner which went just wide.

The deadlock was broken on 26 minutes, when Reds goalkeeper Bailey Hall tried to play out from his own line but only found Popoola, who tapped in from a yard out.

Hall quickly redeemed himself with an excellent tip over the crossbar from a looping header to keep the deficit at one at the first break.

Liverpool should have been level a few minutes into the second period when a lovely balanced run from Sonni-Lambie took him in on goal, and he could barely believe it when his effort rattled back off the crossbar.

It was a big moment because the visitors stretched their lead within a minute. Sheikh Sohna was found in the box and able to hit the net despite Hall getting a hand to his strike.

O’Connor was making an impact on the left wing for the Reds after his introduction, but the hosts fell further behind after good passing found Popoola, who made it 3-0 with 43 minutes gone.

Two minutes before the second break, O'Connor was both creator and finisher, fouled in the box before scoring the penalty on the rebound, to give Liverpool a foothold in the game at 3-1.

A grandstand finish looked possible in the final 30, with the Reds applying lots of pressure – O’Connor denied one-on-one by the goalkeeper and Ahmed’s powerful effort also pushed away. At the other end, though, new goalkeeper DJ Bernard was needed to make a fine fingertip save.

Some slack passing out again cost Liverpool dear, with Yasin Al-Abbas able to finish for the visitors.

No-one was giving up, however, and Lonmeni drilled an excellent low effort in off the post to reduce the deficit on 80 minutes.

But those comeback hopes lasted just a minute before the ball was given away again and Popoola secured his treble.

With five minutes left, Ahmed completed the scoring with a back-post header from a deflected cross, though Bradshaw will wonder how his volley from close range didn’t find the net from virtually the last kick.