Dazzling U18s display downs league leaders
Liverpool's young stars rounded off their calendar year in style by defeating the Barclays U18 Premier League leaders Middlesbrough 4-1 at the Kirkby Academy on Saturday afternoon.
Neil Critchley's side dominated the match and put on a show, particularly in the first half, when an attacking front three of Harry Wilson, Sergi Canos and Sheyi Ojo, terrorised the visiting team.
Canos and Wilson both found the back of the net prior to the interval, while the Welsh winger added a third in the second half. Boro struck back through Jordan Jowers - but Ojo put the game beyond doubt by clinching Liverpool's fourth.
The visitors were carved to pieces for the Reds' first goal. Ojo and Canos swapped the ball three times as they tip-toed through the opposition ranks, allowing the Spaniard to rifle high into the net from an awkward angle and open the scoring.
Canos was majestic in the game. Boro simply had no answer to his powers. He was everywhere, sauntering across the frontline, flicking passes into players' pathways and exposing acres of space in the visitors' defence.
But if Canos was the orchestrator, he was hardly alone in piecing apart the league leaders. They soon got fed up of Wilson, whose bright white boots barely grazed the ground as he floated down the flank, linking with full-back Lewis Travis behind him.
Jordan Rossiter, who had asked to play in this game, stood like a rock in front of the defence. On the odd occasion that he struck a stray pass, the Boro player who found himself in possession soon had the Scouser snapping at his heels and before long, the ball had returned to its rightful owner.
Pedro Chirivella is 17 years of age but he picks passes - short ones into feet or sprawling 40-yard ones that seem to devour half of the field - with composure well beyond his years. At the back, Corey Whelan shuts down moves by reading the game with as much composure as his central-defensive partner and captain, Tom Brewitt.
Back to Canos, though, who was brought down out on the right flank in the 20th minute, prompting the referee to award the Reds a free-kick. Wilson took it, sending a swinging strike deviously towards the near post, where Brewitt was arriving. However, he applied no touch, meaning Wilson's effort evaded everyone en route to the back of the net for 2-0.
Liverpool were hunting a goal again. Wilson, prowling the pitch, slid a pass to Canos, who twirled on the moving ball, manoeuvring it through his feet and into the path of the impressive Ovie Ejaria, who broke into the box before being hauled to the floor. Penalty.
Up stepped Ojo, stuttering en route to the spot in an attempt to put the 'keeper off, but Thomas Dawson was not to be fooled and he flung himself away to his right to apply a strong hand and divert the ball to safety, thus preventing a deserved third goal for the Reds.
Wilson with the ball at his feet screamed danger. This was by no means the winger at his searing best, but he sparkled. Minutes into the second half he was there again, dancing in from the flank to send a cross into the box, which had the 'keeper sprawling to scoop off his line.
The youngster was not going to be kept quiet, though, and within minutes Wilson had his second. Ojo turned three Boro defenders into blue and green statues with a swipe of his right boot, threading through the ranks to his Welsh teammate, who clipped the ball into the back of the net for 3-0.
In the 68th minute, Boro intervened to break up the Reds' rhythm. Harrison Chapman rattled the post with a sensational strike and there was Jowers, poised inside the penalty area to hammer the ball home via the crossbar and pull a goal back.
Far from deflate the young Reds, conceding spurred them into action. Wilson was denied a hat-trick by a brave block when the goal was at his mercy, while Ojo's trickery inside the box almost released Canos for a shot on goal, but the cut-back was too heavy.
Boro were resurgent for a time and Ryan Fulton was called into action to preserve the Reds' two-goal lead; however, the game was won well and truly when Ojo got the strike his efforts had warranted, the youngster cutting between two players to curl home the fourth.
There was time before the final whistle for Chapman, who had been Boro's stand-out performer, to receive a straight red card for a foul on Rossiter and the game ended seconds later as the referee signalled a superb win for the young Reds.
Liverpool U18s: Fulton, Lewis, Travis, Brewitt, Whelan, Rossiter, Canos, Chirivella (Phillips), Ojo, Ejaria (Marsh), Wilson. Unused substitutes: Firth, Polgar.