AcademyU18s match report: Liverpool beaten 4-3 at Derby in season finale
Liverpool were edged out 4-3 at Derby County on Friday evening in the final game of their U18 Premier League North campaign.
The hosts got themselves in front inside 10 minutes.
Remi Harvey was the goalscorer as he converted after a cross in from the right by Sean Corry, with Lucas Clarke having initially cleared off the line.
Derby then doubled their lead on 16 minutes as Harvey was again involved, netting into the bottom corner via a deflection from Prince Cisse.
Liverpool responded and almost got on the scoresheet as Haydn Murray-Holme produced a clever turn in midfield to release La’more Lee Forrester down the right.
He advanced forward to beat his man and shoot from a tight angle but was denied by a great save from goalkeeper Cristiano Dzialuk.
Lee Forrester wasn’t to be halted 10 minutes before the break as he reduced the deficit for the Reds.
The attacker again cut in from the right, though this time fired his effort into the corner of the net.
However, ahead of the interval the home side restored their two-goal advantage through Israel Green’s penalty.
Following the restart, the Reds managed to again cut into Derby’s lead and grab a second of the match.
Joe Upton found the target in impressive fashion, collecting the ball behind the defence to finish well despite the hosts’ attempts to clear off the line.
Matt Wright was called into action for Liverpool on two occasions with reaction stops, while Dzialuk kept an Isaac Konde shot out, before also denying AJ Yeguo.
The Reds then had a leveller 16 minutes from time via Upton’s second effort of the night. He converted from the spot after Lee Forrester won a penalty.
Both teams pushed on to find a winner, but it was the hosts who did so, with James Ward heading in from a corner ball following another clearance off the line by substitute Lenix Conde.
Liverpool almost grabbed a point via Oliver O’Connor, who struck the underside of the crossbar after racing in on goal.
Cisse was also dismissed for the Reds deep into added time as he picked up a second yellow card during a swift Derby breakaway.
Team
Liverpool: M. Wright, Hickman, O’Connor, Cisse, Clarke (Conde, 46), Murray-Holme, Konde (Moran, 67), Upton, Lee Forrester, Eden (Owen, 43), Yeguo.
Unused sub: Hilditch.