Young Reds endure penalty heartbreak
Liverpool's youngsters were desperately unlucky to be eliminated from the FA Youth Cup on Wednesday night after losing out in a penalty shoot-out to Reading.
An astonishing quarter-final ended 4-4 after extra-time, with the teams taking it in turns to overturn two-goal deficits, before Reading triumphed 5-4 in the shoot-out.
Liverpool's lads were inconsolable at the end of it all - some were barely able to contain their emotions as the young Royals raced across the turf in celebration.
Reading had led the match 2-0 to begin with, but goals from Jordan Williams and a last-gasp tap-in from Jordan Rossiter meant extra-time.
There, Daniel Trickett-Smith and Harry Wilson both notched to make it 4-2; however, the home side struck twice with minutes remaining to take the match to penalties.
A whirlwind night at the Madejski Stadium started with the ball in the back of the Reading net. Lloyd Jones towered in the area to turn home a pin-point corner, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
The Reds came forward once again. Rossiter saw Lewis Ward stray from his line and swept towards the far corner, only to be denied by the 'keeper's outstretched palm.
Critchley's side seemed in control when Harry Cardwell received the ball yards inside their half; however, the talented forward had other ideas.
Twisting and turning, he drove Jordan Williams back towards goal, making his decisive moves inside the penalty area, swerving one way, then the other, before slotting beneath Ryan Crump for 1-0.
The Reds' response was swift but not half as lethal. Rossiter reacted well to steer goalwards in the area before Ryan Kent released Seyi Ojo, who went inches wide with a low, arrowed drive.
The two teams traded blows - Cardwell blazed narrowly over the bar from the edge of the box at one end, while the tricky Wilson darted clear but was denied by a strong arm from Ward at the other.
Wilson, 16 years of age, has a knack for popping up in dangerous positions - and when he ghosted in from the left flank onto Rossiter's clever lay-off, it took another full-stretch save from the stopper to keep it out.
But as Liverpool forayed forward full of purpose, alarm bells were sent ringing at the back. Jack Stacey meandered freely before slicing right-footed onto the post from inside the box.
After the interval, there was no relenting in terms of the intensity of this clash. The Reds worked it well when Kent back-heeled to Wilson, who opened his body and wrapped a left boot around the ball, curling inches wide.
Cameron Brannagan scythed the Reading defence open with a cross, but it was too short for Ojo, who was arriving at the far post.
Critchley made changes in the 69th minute. Out came Kent and Pedro Chirivella and in came Trickett-Smith and Canos.
Trickett-Smith took little time to introduce himself in emphatic fashion, but first, he had to watch Crump pick the ball from the back of his net as the Reading players celebrated a second.
The young Royals broke with purpose and Nana Owusu drifted into acres of space out wide. He crossed low for Cardwell. Crump saved the initial strike, but the Reading man reacted to fire into the roof of the net.
Liverpool were undeterred. Trickett-Smith was certainly undeterred. He sent a sensational, dipping effort onto the crossbar from 40 yards out, before lashing another beauty from similar range, this time from open play.
Williams upstaged all that though when he let loose with a Steven Gerrard-like blast, which flew low into the corner from range to halve the deficit at 2-1.
Time wore on and it seemed the game was beyond Liverpool. That was until the 93rd minute, when Joe Maguire burst down the left flank and squared into the middle. Rossiter sped towards the near post and tapped the ball home.
The fourth minute of extra-time saw Canos go to the by-line and cross into the middle. Trickett-Smith trapped the ball with his right, before hammering low with his left to make it 3-2.
Then, just before the interval in extra-time, Canos found Wilson with a simply sensational through ball and the Wales international prodded home the fourth.
However, Reading staged a remarkable fightback. De'Jaune Taylor-Crossdale halved Liverpool's advantage. Then, with moments remaining George McLennan fired into the roof of the net at the far post.
Reading were unerring from 12 yards, driving home each of their penalties, while Brannagan was so unlucky to fire wide for the Reds.