Harry's late stunner settles mini-derby
Harry Wilson conjured something special as Liverpool U21s came from a goal down to defeat Everton 2-1 on Monday night, in a game where Mamadou Sakho was given a first-half run-out.
The Reds fell behind to Ryan Ledson's strike after the interval in the mini-derby, but they were hauled level when Daniel Cleary, on as a substitute, marked his 19th birthday with a composed headed finish.
Then, in the 93rd minute, another substitute, Wilson, picked the ball up out on the right, flew inside and unleashed an unstoppable drive, which rocketed into the top corner to clinch a breathtaking victory.
One name stood out when the teamsheets were passed to the referee prior to kick-off, as Sakho was handed his first appearance for the Reds since the first-team's win over Besiktas at Anfield last month.
The sides cancelled each other out during the opening exchanges. Liverpool offered more, seeing plenty of the ball and managing to play Jack Dunn in behind the Blues' defence on a number of occasions.
Everton were solid and well organised and they harried and pressed the Reds well enough without committing too many men forward. Meanwhile, the likes of Cameron Brannagan and Sergi Canos looked to get on the ball between their lines and forge openings.
The fact that Brannagan was skippering a side which included the experience of Sakho will have filled the youngster with pride. The playmaker, who possesses bags of technical ability, has been coming on leaps and bounds for the Reds of late and he wanted the ball to feet all the time here.
It was Brannagan who read the game astutely to slip a first-time ball into Canos, allowing the Spaniard to fly down the flank and curl low into the six-yard box. The ball was dangerous, but Tyias Browning was there to intervene and prevent Jerome Sinclair from finishing.
Alex O'Hanlon hit a pass in the 25th minute which required a double-take, such was its stunning quality. On the half-volley, leaning back, the youngster sliced the ball with the outside of his boot to propel a spiraling 40-yard pass into the path of Dunn. The forward raced clear but Brendan Galloway was there to block his path with a terrific lunge.
That sumptuous ball from O'Hanlon had left onlookers drooling, but it was to be the midfielder's final contribution to the game as he limped from the field on the half-hour mark to be replaced by fellow Dubliner, Cleary.
Cleary slotted into the centre-back role while Jordan Williams, who debuted for the senior side as a substitute against Middlesbrough earlier this season, moved further up the field into a midfield berth.
Sakho, as expected, kept things ticking over at the back, Sinclair showed the odd injection of pace going forward and Liam Walsh, who orchestrated Everton U18s' 5-0 victory over Liverpool last month, was denied a yard of space to control the game. Ledson was kept quiet.
Shortly before the interval the tie exploded into life. Dunn was the orchestrator of it all because he had the intelligence to turn and zip the ball into Sinclair's feet on the edge of the box. Sinclair punted the pass forward with a prod and when Browning mis-kicked, Brannagan pounced to rattle the crossbar.
The danger was not over for Everton, though, as the ball fell to the feet of 22-goal man Sinclair, who took a touch to steady himself, but before he could pull the trigger, he was closed down quickly by Browning and, as a result, the Liverpool man skewed his shot wide.
At half-time, Beale brought Brad Smith on in place of Sakho and Liverpool picked up where they left off at the end of the first half, keen to get on the ball and quick to harry the opposition into relinquishing possession.
A lovely flowing move opened Everton up as Smith surged in from the left flank and found Canos, who dragged the Blues defence back in the opposite direction before feeding Dunn for a vicious first-time strike, which swerved towards goal but was smothered by Russell Griffiths.
Liverpool came surging forward again and it was all down to the sprightly Smith, who arced a pass into the middle, where Griffiths spilled the ball into the path of Dunn. The Scouser fired goalwards, but the 'keeper had recovered to push his shot wide.
The Reds were relentless. From the resulting corner, Williams showed great poise to swivel clear of his marker and hammer goalwards. His strike ricocheted to Dunn and he drove an arrowed shot through a cluster of blue and red shirts and just wide of the post.
Tempers flared in true Merseyside derby fashion when Williams challenged Francisco Junior, but the commotion was soon settled and the Liverpool man received a booking. Beale, meanwhile, switched Wilson into the game for Dunn.
But Everton took the lead in the 68th minute. Gethin Jones latched onto Lloyd Jones' pass, raced into the penalty area and tucked the ball inside to Ledson, who swerved a precise strike up and over Lawrence Vigouroux to open the scoring.
Within five minutes the Reds were level. Wilson curled a free-kick into the middle, Browning tried to clear the danger, but he nodded the ball back across the face of goal, where Cleary was waiting to nod into the back of the net.
Liverpool pressed in search of a winner, with Wilson twice accelerating into space down the right flank but unable to find a decisive pass into the middle.
At the other end, David Henen burst clear and had the chance to seal victory for Everton with minutes left on the clock, but Vigouroux made a fine save with his feet to keep the Blues at bay.
Then came that wonderful moment of inspiration from Wilson. Scooping possession out wide, he careered inward and let fly with a simply unstoppable effort to find the top corner and clinch all three points for the Reds.
Liverpool’s XI: Vigouroux, Williams, Maguire, Jones, Sakho (Smith), Stewart, Canos, O’Hanlon (Cleary), Sinclair, Brannagan, Dunn (Wilson). Unused substitutes: Fulton, Trickett-Smith.