AcademyU21s match report: Nallo, Morton and Young net as Liverpool win 3-0 at Arsenal

Amara Nallo converted from yards out to put the Reds ahead early on and having created that first goal, Tyler Morton scored a second himself just before the break.

Ranel Young later clinically extended the lead for Barry Lewtas’ charges, who had to hold firm in the final stages following a red card shown to goalkeeper Harvey Davies.

A first threat of the evening came from the hosts three minutes in as Nathan Butler-Oyedeji opened up a shooting position left of goal. His strike rippled the net – but having whistled wide of the near post.

Liverpool were enjoying plenty of possession early on, though, and got their noses in front via a set-piece in the 12th minute.

Morton served a brilliant free-kick from the right touchline that dipped into the six-yard box and, with Arsenal unable to clear, Nallo capitalised by clipping home from close range.

A Gunners error almost gifted the visitors a second as a tricky back-pass was miscontrolled by goalkeeper Khari Ranson, but they recovered quickly enough to prevent any swarming Reds player getting a chance.

Davies had been largely untroubled in the Liverpool goal until, eight minutes before the interval, he had to produce a fine save.

The home team worked the ball to Butler-Oyedeji around 20 yards out and he connected sweetly with a low attempt on the turn that Davies turned past the post.

The importance of that save was compounded on the stroke of half-time as the Reds went up the other end and doubled their advantage via a goal founded on Morton’s quality.

He won the ball in his own half with a crisp sliding tackle and led a counter-attack to the Arsenal area. Young was blocked as he aimed at goal but Morton had remained nearby, took the loose ball on and benefited from a deflection off Elian Quesada-Thorn that sent his finish looping over Ranson and in.

The Gunners made an assertive start to the second period and soon went close when Zane Monlouis won a challenge and sent Jimi Gower moving towards goal, but his right-to-left swipe from the ‘D’ narrowly drifted wide.

It was another key turning point in the contest because within a minute the away side had a third.

Fantastic harrying of the opposition defence by Morton and Tom Hill caused an Arsenal mistake and Young pounced, stroking a finish across Ranson confidently.

Young could, and he will feel should, have further enhanced the scoreline soon after. Trey Nyoni glided forward with the ball and slipped it into a James Norris burst into the box from left-back.

He picked out the Liverpool No.9 in a central position but his first strike thudded off the crossbar and his second, from the rebound, was thwarted by Ranson.

Lewtas’ side could have been forgiven for anticipating a comfortable denouement, yet it turned out to be something entirely different.

Davies’ dismissal occurred with 15 minutes still to play, with the ’keeper receiving back-to-back yellow cards that appeared to be for time-wasting and dissent.

Arsenal launched a sustained spell of pressure subsequently, only to be denied by a stretching save from substitute stopper Kornel Misciur and a vital Lee Jonas block.

Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand fired an effort onto the woodwork before Hill and Josh Davidson delivered heroic blocks as the Reds refused to give up their clean sheet and preserved a third successive PL2 win.

TEAM

Davies, Miles, Norris, Jonas, Nallo, Morton, Hill, Pilling (Davidson, 83), Young (Misciur, 78), Nyoni (Corness, 83), Morrison (Pinnington, 81).

Unused sub: Laffey.

NEXT UP

The U21s now have a 10-day wait for their next competitive outing, which sees them travel to Manchester United on Sunday October 6.

That PL2 encounter is a 12pm BST kick-off at Leigh Sports Village and will be streamed live on LFCTV GO.