Young Reds net four in Norwich thriller

Jordan Williams, Ryan Kent and Cameron Brannagan had combined to give Michael Beale's side a commanding 3-0 lead at half-time, but they were dragged back in the second period by the spirited visitors.

And, though it looked like Sheyi Ojo had got the youngsters off the hook when he converted a late penalty, there was more drama to come as Josh Murphy completed his hat-trick to steal a point for the 10-man visitors.

With Jerome Sinclair out of action after featuring for the first team against Chelsea on Sunday, Samed Yesil returned to the starting line-up in the centre-forward position.

Danny Ward and Dan Cleary also claimed places in the XI as Ryan Fulton and Lloyd Jones, who featured in the 4-3 defeat to Chelsea's U21s last week, made way between the sticks and in defence respectively.

Prior to kick-off, a minute's silence was held at Anfield as a mark of respect for the 56 football supporters who lost their lives in the Bradford City fire 30 years ago.

But that well observed tribute did not hamper the intensity of the start of the game, as both sides broke forward with purpose in the opening seconds.

The best of those bursts came from Harry Wilson in the tenth minute as he drew a foul at the edge of the visitors' box following a purposeful run from his own half.

Unfortunately, the subsequent free-kick was fired straight into the wall as the Canaries were let off the hook.

Yesil then failed to capitalise on another good run from Ojo, with the German unable to collect a pass that fell just behind him in the area.

Norwich did not allow the hosts to run away things, however, and soon created two big chances of their own.

Jacob Murphy narrowly failed to get on the end of a brilliant cross from his twin brother Josh from the right-hand side before Carlton Morris inexplicably hooked the ball over in the face of an open goal after Ward had parried.

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And the Reds took full advantage in the immediate aftermath, as Williams found space at the back post to smash in Cleary's flick-on from a Kent corner.

The visiting team rallied again after going down but, with 25 minutes gone, they were undone by a moment of sheer quality and found themselves 2-0 down.

Wilson picked the ball up in a central position before working space on his left foot and from the Welshman picked out Kent with an eye-of-the-needle pass.

The forward's run was perfectly timed and the finish, which went in off the far post, was just as good.

Norwich continued to show endeavour and push forward despite the state of the game but the hosts' lightning pace on the break meant they were always in control.

And even when the visitors appeared to have slowed yet another rapid counter from their own corner with ten minutes of the half remaining, Brannagan simply smashed in from 25 yards to put his side 3-0 up.

Goalkeeper Ward had been a virtual spectator for much of the opening 45 minutes but had one chance to evidence his quality before the half was out and took it,as he brilliantly kept out a close-range shot at the death.

The Reds showed no signs of slowing down after the break, with Ojo joining Kent and Wilson in breaking from the middle, while the latter went close with a deflected effort from distance.

But a remarkable comeback was on the cards, and it began on the hour-mark with a well-worked goal.

Josh Murphy latched onto a beautifully weighted clipped pass over the top and, after giving himself space with an excellent touch, he smashed home powerfully beyond a helpless Ward.

Moments later, a deflected cross from the left-hand side found the hosts' defenders on their heels and Morris was there to tap-in and bring the game back to life.

And, incredibly, things were set to get worse for the young Reds, as Josh Murphy latched onto the ball after his sibling Jacob appeared to have wasted a one-on-one chance and tapped into the open net.

The visitors were making all the running after grabbing their unlikely equaliser but yet more twists awaited.

The relentless Ojo worked an opportunity to shoot after yet another fine Liverpool break and, with the keeper beaten, Reece Hall-Johnson handled on the line to keep his team in it.

The referee rightly pointed to the spot before sending the defender off and Ojo coolly kept up his part of the bargain by dispatching the penalty to the delight of the Kop.

But still, the visiting side would not relent, with Josh Murphy smashing home from a tight angle to secure a treble and level the game up for the final time.

The result leaves the Reds second in the league, though they could fall further if other sides' remaining games go against them.