Young Reds suffer Southampton defeat
Liverpool U21s were on the wrong end of the result in a highly competitive league clash with Southampton on Thursday evening, as the visitors secured a 3-1 victory at Anfield.
Amid constant rain at the home of the senior Reds, the youngsters initially fell behind to a Ryan Seager strike only to restore parity through an own goal within a minute.
The same Saints scorer made a decisive contribution shortly after the half-time interval, however, and a late Jake Hesketh blast consigned the hosts to a second successive defeat.
Although the downfall drifting around Anfield as kick-off approached suddenly became considerably heavier, both sides were keen on short, sharp passing and building gracefully out from the back during the fleeting exchanges.
That said, it was a rather more industrial long punt forward that brought an opportunity for Southampton midfielder Jake Flannigan on four minutes. His dipping volley from around 25 yards was at the opposite end of the style spectrum, though, and was only narrowly too high to be of genuine concern to Danny Ward.
Opposition goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga did have to sprawl to his right soon after, palming out a bobbling header from Harry Wilson, who had dangerously diverted Joe Maguire's cross. Ryan McLaughlin then worked the Argentinian at his near post with a low drive.
The clock was showing 20 minutes when Michael Beale's charges next cut through the visiting defence, with a crisp interchange involving Cameron Brannagan, Jordan Williams and Connor Randall releasing Wilson. The Welshman was pushed wide, however, and his back-heel eluded a teammate.
Seager fired a warning riposte when found from the left by Josh Debayo, but Ward was more than equal to the challenge, diving low to the right. Unfortunately, the Saints No.9 could not be denied on 24 minutes as he pressured Lloyd Jones into an error and promptly slotted into the bottom corner.
Yet their lead lasted mere seconds. Jerome Sinclair worked enough space on the right side of Southampton territory to dig out a back-post cross, where defender Nial Mason sent a header into the top corner of his own goal as McLaughlin closed in.
Jordan Rossiter reacquainted himself with Anfield following his senior debut - and landmark goal - in the Capital One Cup against Middlesbrough last month, replacing McLaughlin for the outset of the second half.
But the hosts soon fell behind again. The pace and acceleration of Omar Rowe carried him into freedom inside the left channel and his precise centre into the young Reds' penalty area was exactly what Seager was waiting for. He calmly tapped a first-time finish into the right corner for 2-1 on 52 minutes.
In response, Sinclair tested Gazzaniga with a daisy-cutter that the 'keeper parried out and subsequently scooped up as Brannagan rushed in for a rebound. The Saints stopper was soon at it again, holding onto a powerful Wilson drive from a central position.
With Beale's outfit committing players forward in search of an equaliser, Seager was inches away from completing a hat-trick when Mason scampered along the right wing and crossed into the middle, but the ball just missed the striker.
Ward later thwarted the relentless forward with an outstretched leg and Hesketh pummelled over from the left when picked out neatly by Rowe. But Hesketh did eventually hit the target in the 90th minute, forcing a blast beyond Ward to secure the result.
Liverpool U21s team: Ward, Randall (Trickett-Smith), Maguire, Stewart, Jones, Williams, McLaughlin (Rossiter), Phillips (O'Hanlon), Sinclair, Brannagan, Wilson. Unused substitutes: Vigouroux, Cleary.