AcademyU21s match report: Liverpool suffer PL2 home defeat against West Brom

The visitors took a two-goal advantage into the break and added another three in the second half to leave with all three points on Saturday.

A well-executed game plan saw the young Baggies get plenty of players behind the ball before striking clinically on the break.

Liverpool, for all their possession, struggled to create clear-cut opportunities and when they did arrive they were spurned.

The home side dominated the ball early on but could not find a way through to work opposition goalkeeper Joe Wallis.

Instead it was West Brom who took the lead with their first attack in minute 13, albeit in contentious circumstances. A Jayden Danns pass in midfield seemed to be broken up by an arm but the referee waved play on. A quick pass put Eseosa Sule in on goal and he drilled his effort past Harvey Davies.

Rio Ngumoha looked the Reds’ most likely route back into the game, offering a regular threat on the left wing, but the visitors were alive to the danger and doubled up on the 16-year-old almost every time he got the ball.

Indeed, there was half an hour on the clock before Liverpool were able to fashion a real chance, Kieran Morrison’s curling free-kick headed just wide by Wellity Lucky.

Brilliant skill from Ngumoha then created a chance for Trey Nyoni, but the midfielder blazed his strike well over the crossbar.

The Baggies then went further ahead through a quick breakaway with 39 minutes on the clock. A crossfield diagonal found Reyes Cleary and he cut inside Josh Davidson before scooping past Davies for a two-goal advantage.

Liverpool appeared to have a great opportunity to reduce the deficit just two minutes later, when a fine turn from Danns saw him go down in the box, but the referee ruled the initial contact was outside and awarded only a free-kick.

The young striker dusted himself down to send a fine effort in on goal but Wallis saved well to maintain the West Brom cushion.

Liverpool hopes of a second-half comeback were diminished within two minutes of the restart. A ball from the left was picked up by Sule, who fired low past Davies for his second of the match and a three-goal lead.

Barry Lewtas’ side stirred, with Trent Kone-Doherty looking to spark a fightback. He met an Isaac Mabaya cutback with a low shot, but Wallis was in the right place to make a block – a feat he managed again 10 minutes later from another low strike from the young Irish winger.

Just before the hour mark Kone-Doherty tuned provider, pulling a great ball back to Danns in front of goal, whose instinctive effort was clawed away by Wallis.

Morrison went close twice and substitute Ranel Young had another effort saved after a clever back-heel from Davidson.

The visitors stretched their lead in the closing minutes, however, to give the game a one-sided scoreline it did not deserve.

Cleary volleyed in his second in the last minute of normal time, and Archie Kirton headed home a fifth for West Brom deep into five minutes of injury time to complete the scoring.

Team

Liverpool: Davies, Mabaya (Miles, 71), Davidson, Lucky (Pinnington, 83), Nallo, Pilling, Kone-Doherty, Nyoni (Kelly, 71), Morrison, Danns (Young, 60), Ngumoha.

Unused sub: Misciur.

Next up

Liverpool’s next assignment is a Premier League 2 trip to Tottenham Hotspur next Sunday (January 26). Kick-off at Lamex Stadium is 1pm GMT.