AcademyU18s match report: Liverpool hit five in eventful win over Blackburn

The young Reds delivered the highlights of an impressive first half as Keyrol Figueroa and Kareem Ahmed were on target.

Blackburn came back strongly, though, and had halved their deficit through Patrik Farkas and hit the woodwork twice in the first three minutes of the second period.

But Liverpool found ways to weather the storm and then powered to all three points as Trent Kone-Doherty and Kieran Morrison (two) netted.

The home side made a confident start to the U18 Premier League North contest and with just six minutes on the clock, a Cody Pennington shot from 20 yards was deflected up and onto the roof of the net.

In the passage from the resulting set-piece, Pennington swirled a lovely cross from the left to the far post, where Lucas Pitt headed the ball off the outside of the goalframe.

Blackburn’s threat on the break was evident, though, and Kornel Misciur stood up well to paw away Joseph Boggan’s attempt to lift a finish over him when he was sent clear one-on-one.

Michael Laffey had a low drive thwarted by the feet of Rovers goalkeeper Solomon Honor, while at the other end Misciur raced from his line to get there before Boggan when the Reds squandered the ball just outside the box.

The opener came in minute 23 and it was a fine move to hand Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s team the lead. Morrison rolled it back to Pennington in the right channel and his arced cross to the back stick was nodded low into the net by Figueroa.

The visitors soon had a goal chalked off. Boggan tucked home the loose ball after Lorenze Mullarkey-Matthews took in a diagonal pass and went into a challenge with Misciur, who – judged the officials – was fouled.

Back in the other direction, Farkas was well placed to clear off the line when Morrison carved through the Rovers defence and his cleared delivery was driven back to goal by Laffey.

But Blackburn’s goal was breached again on 40. A Liverpool corner was not properly cleared, Pitt hoisted the ball back into the box and Ahmed was there to convert at the second attempt.

There were further chances at both ends before half-time arrived, with Honor notably kicking away Morrison’s low effort from a slick Reds counter-attack.

Rovers disorientated the Reds with a rapid start to the second half.

They were level within a minute of the restart as Farkas neatly exchanged passes with Igor Tyjon as he moved into the box and clinically dispatched the ball past Misciur.

Blackburn looked certain to equalise just moments later. The visitors broke on Liverpool and sent Zack Stritch clear in the right channel. His dragged shot across Misciur bounced off the far post and from the rebound, Boggan sent the ball off the same piece of woodwork.

Boggan next fired inches wide after beating the Reds’ offside line, before this spell of almost total dominance was broken by the hosts’ third goal.

On the hour mark, Laffey dissected the opposition defence to set Kone-Doherty scampering and the wide forward produced an increasingly trademark cut inside and firm strike for 3-1.

Openings continued to flow for both sides, but the influential Morrison capped another eye-catching display with a late double to put the game to bed.

First he curled a 22-yard free-kick into the top left corner in the 77th minute, and almost straight from kick-off he won possession, collected Figueroa’s unselfish return pass and angled a finish across the goalkeeper.

Misciur tipped a dangerous Stritch set-piece over via a touch on the crossbar, while substitute Josh Sonni-Lambie was denied on the goalline in the final throes of an eventful victory for Liverpool.

TEAM

Misciur, Airoboma (Evers, 71), Gyimah (Giblin, 71), Pitt (Enahoro-Marcus, 83), K. Kelly, Laffey, Morrison (Sonni-Lambie, 88), Pennington, Figueroa, Ahmed, Kone-Doherty.

Unused sub: Morana.

NEXT UP

Liverpool’s U18s have another home league fixture next weekend, with Manchester City the visitors to the Academy. That game is an 11.30am GMT kick-off on Saturday February 17.