AcademyU18s match report: Liverpool suffer home defeat against Derby

Two goals in each half from the visitors gave them a deserved win, with Joe Bradshaw providing the response for the young Reds.

Derby started the U18 Premier League North contest much the sharper team and were ahead within five minutes.

Owen Eames won a free-kick on the left and when it was played short to him, he fired a powerful shot from distance into the corner of the net for the early lead.

Bradshaw made his first run of the day into the Derby box to create a chance for Scofield Lonmeni, but his effort was straight at the goalkeeper.

Derby, however, remained the dominant team and striker Justin Oguntolu had the ball in the net twice in quick succession around the 20-minute mark, though both were ruled out for offside.

Liverpool failed to heed the warning and Derby stretched their lead two minutes later as slack defending allowed Cruz Allen to run into the left side of the area and blast home a left-footed effort from the angle.

Oguntolu headed another good chance over the bar as the visitors looked to pull away, but it was the Reds who grabbed the next goal.

Josh Sonni-Lambie and Bradshaw combined for it, a superb pass from the former blasted home by the latter to give the hosts a foothold in the match.

Derby remained threatening, though, with Oguntolu shooting straight at Bailey Hall after a good one-two in the box and then somehow putting an effort wide from in front of goal after a good pass from Eames.

Hall then almost gifted the visitors a third with a loose pass out but Dantel Hodges put his strike wide, to leave Liverpool trailing by just one at the break.

Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s team started the second half well and had a couple of opportunities to draw level.

Ryan Cowley met a deep cross with a back-post effort that went just off target, before a fine team move ended with a Derby defender clearing off his line. Bradshaw also went down in the box to produce strong penalty claims, but the referee waved play on.

Derby instead increased their lead on 57 minutes with a goal out of nothing. Hall could only palm a looping header straight to Oguntolu, who had a simple tap-in to make it 3-1.

Five minutes later, the game was effectively over as Derby claimed a fourth from another Liverpool error. A pass out of defence was intercepted and substitute Charles Ebuka was put away to beat Hall in a one-on-one.

The Reds kept going and had several chances to reduce the deficit in the last 20 minutes. Sonni-Lambie was sharp throughout and put a Clae Ewing cross wide, before firing another Ewing pass just wide of the post with Derby goalkeeper Harley Price beaten.

Bradshaw met a deep cross from a short corner on the volley but Price saved, and the away stopper also denied substitute Tyler Martin with a good save after Alvin Ayman’s pass.

Team

Liverpool: Hall, Cisse (Esdaille, 62), Ewing, Airoboma, Enahoro-Marcus, Upton, Lonmeni (Ayman, 62), Cowley (Martin, 81), Sonni-Lambie, Onanuga, Bradshaw.

Unused subs: Ahmed, Bernard.

Goal: Bradshaw (27).

Next up

An U18 Premier League Cup knockout tie with Chelsea is next for the young Reds. Kick-off is 11am GMT on Saturday February 1 at Cobham.