Reds seal spot in Youth Cup quarters
Liverpool's U18s produced a highly impressive display to beat Watford 2-0 in the FA Youth Cup on Wednesday night and seal their spot in the last eight of the elite youth competition.
Both Liverpool goals - scored in either half by Daniel Trickett-Smith and Harry Wilson - were created by surging runs along the right flank by inspirational captain Connor Randall.
After a dominant first-half display, the pressure finally told with the opener on 39 minutes, when the skipper's run concluded with his low cross being converted by the excellent Trickett-Smith.
Attacking trio Ryan Kent, Trickett-Smith and Wilson all went close to increasing that advantage in the second period, before the latter eventually added a second in the 77th minute.
The decisive effort - the Welsh international's 10th goal of a very productive season - arrived courtesy of another incisive dribble and pull-back by Randall to ensure progress.
In a further boost for Neil Critchley's side, striker Jerome Sinclair returned from an injury lay-off to feature for the final 15 minutes of the clash at Vicarage Road.
The young Reds, who reached the semi-final stage last season, now face a trip to Reading in the quarter-finals of the competition. The date for that tie has yet to be confirmed.
The Reds' XI in full: Fulton, Randall, Maguire, Williams, Jones, Rossiter, Wilson, Brannagan, Kent (Sinclair), Trickett-Smith (Chirivella), Ojo.