Match reportLiverpool U18s beaten by Nottingham Forest at the Academy

The young Reds battled back to draw level at 2-2 at half-time through goals from Josh Abe and Alvin Ayman, after Riko Robinson and Ethan Broomes had put the visitors two goals to the good by the half-hour mark.

However, Forest dominated the second half of Saturday’s U18 Premier League North match and ran out comfortable winners thanks to strikes by Scott Hamilton and Fuad Smith, and two more from hat-trick scorer Robinson.

Josh Sonni-Lambie pulled one back for Liverpool late on.

Forest made the early running and deservedly took the lead when Robinson fired in off the post with 16 minutes gone.

Ayman and AJ Yeguo went close to levelling but it was 2-0 soon after Liverpool centre-back Harvey Owen had to be replaced due to injury, as Broomes found the top corner from outside the penalty area.

The young Reds responded well, though, with Lamore Lee Forrester beating his man and delivering a low cross for Abe to convert at the back post, before Finn Inglethorpe had an effort cleared off the line.

Ayman then equalised on the stroke of half-time with a fine left-footed strike, but Liverpool’s good work was undone in the first quarter of an hour of the second period, during which Forest scored four times.

Coach Simon Wiles brought Sonni-Lambie off the bench on the hour and the striker grabbed a late consolation with an excellent finish.

Team

Liverpool U18s: Hall, O’Connor, Powney Wain (Ekiugbo, 75), Cisse, Owen (Hickman, 29), Murray-Holme, Abe, Ayman, Inglethorpe, Yeguo, Lee Forrester (Sonni-Lambie, 60).

Unused subs: Bernard, Farkas.

Next up

Liverpool’s next fixture is an away Premier League Cup tie against Newcastle United on Saturday November 22 (11am GMT kick-off).