AcademyU18s match report: Morrison double earns Liverpool comeback win at Sunderland

On their second trip to the north east this week, following a 4-3 defeat by Newcastle United on Tuesday night, Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s young Reds dug in to take three points at the Academy of Light.

The hosts started brightly in the U18 Premier League North contest, with Kornel Misciur making saves from Aaron Chungh, Cuba Mitchell and Archie Lightfoot.

Liverpool weren’t troubling their opponents at the other end and, indeed, again needed Misciur to make quickfire stops to keep out Fin Geragusian and Rhys Walsh.

Jack Whittaker curled a presentable chance over the bar and Walsh then hit the post as Sunderland’s pressure continued – and it bore fruit for the home team with 39 minutes on the clock.

From a corner kick into the area, a Ben Kindon effort was pushed away by Misciur but the ball bounced kindly for Walsh to convert from close range.

The Reds’ comeback began swiftly when the sides returned from the interval.

In fact, within two minutes of the restart Morrison hauled the visitors level, superbly swerving a shot into the left corner from 10 yards after being teed up by Scofield Lonmeni and dribbling past two.

Geragusian and Lonmeni were denied at either end as both sides pushed for a decisive moment, which came from Liverpool – and Morrison again – in minute 81.

The captain snatched victory for his team with a fine free-kick from just outside the area that he dispatched inside the left post, his 11th league goal of the campaign.

TEAM

Liverpool U18s: Misciur (Morana, 59), Pitt, Evers, Furnell-Gill, Lucky (Airoboma, 65), K. Kelly (Upton, 46), Young (O’Connor, 46), Lonmeni, Sonni-Lambie, Morrison, Bradshaw (Martin, 76).

NEXT UP

The U18s are back in action next Saturday (April 27) with a home fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers, their penultimate league match of 2023-24.

Kick-off at the Kirkby Academy is 12pm BST.