AcademyU21s match report: Liverpool beaten in Premier League 2 mini-derby

The Reds enjoyed the ascendancy for long spells of the showdown in Kirkby but were undone by a pair of Omari Benjamin finishes during the second half.

Benjamin dispatched an opener across Kornel Misciur to break the deadlock midway through the deciding period and then stole the ball from the goalkeeper in stoppage time to end the contest.

Liverpool hemmed Everton into their own territory during the early stages, though the visitors were showing their potential danger on the counter-attack.

Jacob Beaumont-Clark and Benjamin combined from one such breakaway to fashion a shooting chance for the latter, whose attempt to place a low strike into the opposite corner was prevented by a Misciur touch.

Charlie Whitaker fired over the bar from another Blues riposte, before the Reds produced their first genuine chance on 20 minutes.

The left-sided triangle of James Norris, Trey Nyoni and Tommy Pilling had been fruitful already and their latest crisp passing move got Pilling into space in the box. However, his final finish lacked the power to trouble Zan-Luk Leban.

Next, Leban got a vital boot on a Tom Hill touch towards goal from a cross into the near post, with the visitors able to clear the rebound before it could be pounced upon.

Jack Tierney was wide with a header and Beaumont-Clark curled an attempt into the hands of Misciur, before Barry Lewtas was forced into an early substitution due to an injury sustained by Terence Miles.

The best opportunity of the opening 45 minutes came to Everton’s Benjamin but he lashed off target after the increasingly influential Beaumont-Clark crashed a cross into the centre.

Photos by John Powell

Liverpool would dominate the majority of the second half and Leban made an excellent reaction save to tip over a thump from Nyoni after the midfielder was served into the box by Miles’ replacement, Josh Davidson.

Kieran Morrison was inches away from breaking the deadlock when from a corner into the middle Lee Jonas nudged the ball out to the edge of the box. Morrison met it with a rasping half-volley that rippled the netting on the wrong side of the right post.

Leban plucked a Ranel Young curler out of the air and got enough on the ball to stop Pilling’s close-range effort - found at the back stick from Morrison’s fizzed cross - before a sucker-punch from the visitors.

Everton worked the ball into a pocket of space for Benjamin to the right of the target and he capitalised fully with a clinical low finish across Misciur to give his team an edge.

Lewtas’ charges responded well to the setback, and carved out several good chances to equalise.

One was created by substitute Isaac Mabaya - back on the pitch for the first time since April - as he sent a cross into the Blues box that was met by Nyoni. The No.10’s hit was stopped by Leban, though.

Nyoni subsequently went close with a first-time volley from a partial clearance that drifted beyond the left post, while Morrison was a persistent problem for the opposition to deal with via his dribbles infield.

As stoppage time commenced, Nyoni went desperately close with a hooked strike that Leban stretched superbly to get hands on and divert away from the top corner.

And the Blues compounded Liverpool’s frustration seconds from the end of the six added minutes, Benjamin closing down Misciur and taking the ball to set up a stroke into the exposed net.

Team

Misciur, Miles (Davidson, 35), Norris, Jonas, Nallo, Corness, Morrison, Hill, Young (Kone-Doherty, 75), Nyoni, Pilling (Mabaya, 65).

Unused subs: R. Trueman, Kelly.

Next up

The U21s switch to Premier League International Cup action on Wednesday night (October 30).

Hertha BSC are the visitors to the Academy for a 7pm GMT kick-off.