AcademyMatch report: Liverpool U21s draw with Hull City in pre-season friendly
Liverpool U21s continued their pre-season preparations with a competitive 0-0 draw against Hull City at the Academy in Kirkby on Saturday afternoon.
Both sides worked hard to try to break the deadlock but had to be content with clean sheets and more good minutes in the tank ahead of the new campaign.
Summer goalkeeping arrival Armin Pecsi played a full 90 minutes, while striker Will Wright made his debut for the last 30 minutes, one of 10 outfield changes for the Reds on the hour mark.
Each team struggled for rhythm during the first half, though the best chances fell to Rob Page's hosts.
Lewis Koumas pinched a ball midway into the Hull half and found Keyrol Figueroa, whose curling effort from a full 30 yards was only just clawed over the bar by the Tigers goalkeeper.
A minute later, right-back Calvin Ramsay showed tremendous skill to flip a ball over a defender's head, collect it on the other side and fire in a fine low shot, which the goalkeeper saved low to his right.
Midway through the opening period, Kareem Ahmed released Koumas but he was denied by a solid save, while the latter led a three-on-two break on the stroke of half-time, but Figueroa's shot went the wrong side of the post.
Hull fashioned the first opportunity of the second period, a long-range effort clipping the top of the crossbar, while it took a superb header off the line from Ramsay to deny them the opener just before the hour mark after a good break from the visitors.
The Reds changed all 10 outfield players on 60 minutes and it instantly brought more drive and pace into the game, with the likes of Trent Kone-Doherty, Kieran Morrison and Kaide Gordon making an instant impact.
Gordon made a lovely run into the box from the right within a few minutes of coming on but his effort was too close to the goalkeeper, while Kone-Doherty and Gordon both shot over the bar from decent positions.
Terence Miles was making some good overlapping runs down the right and from his cross a clearance fell to Tommy Pilling on the volley but again the goalkeeper saved well.
Wright almost made a dream debut seven minutes from the end, reacting well when a shot was deflected in the box. However, the sprawling goalkeeper kept it out on the line.
The final big chance again fell to the Reds, Gordon teeing up a goalbound effort from Miles, but a defender's last-ditch block ensured the game ended goalless.
Liverpool U21s: Pecsi, Ramsay (Miles, 60), Pitt (Davidson, 60), Williams (Nallo, 60), Airoboma (Lucky, 60), Pinnington (Pilling, 60), Ahmed (Laffey, 60), Balagizi (Morrison, 60), Figueroa (Wright, 60), Onanuga (Gordon, 60), Koumas (Kone-Doherty, 60).