AcademyU18s match report: Liverpool score four in league win over Derby
Goals from Josh Abe, Oliver O'Connor and Josh Sonni-Lambie gave Liverpool U18s a 4-2 victory at home to Derby County on Friday afternoon.
A double by 15-year-old Abe put the Reds 2-0 up midway through the first half of the U18 Premier League North clash at the Kirkby Academy.
Remi Harvey pulled one back for the visitors as the break approached but O'Connor restored the cushion on the hour mark.
Sonni-Lambie scored with the final kick of the game to clinch the points after Kieran Clarke gave 10-player Derby a lifeline with 12 minutes of the 90 remaining.
A bright start from the hosts was rewarded with a fifth-minute opener, with Alvin Ayman's cross into the box only half-cleared to Abe stationed on the edge.
The attacker skipped past the challenge of the nearest Ram and then fired into the bottom right corner.
DJ Bernard made a smart save off a free-kick from Derby's Marley Mintus before Liverpool's lead was two.
In minute 25, Abe raced on to a ball in behind from 14-year-old Luca Eden, cut inside on his left foot and watched his strike deflect in off Dantel Hodges.
The visitors would be given some hope heading into the interval, halving the deficit when Harvey slotted past Bernard from Sean Corry's tee-up.
Abe was denied his hat-trick on two occasions by Cristiano Dzialuk early in the second period, with La'more Lee Forrester also frustrated by the goalkeeper.
Derby went close to levelling twice. Kacey Myers could not hit the target from close range and Mintus curled onto the crossbar.
But the game appeared to be beyond them as a result of a two-minute spell that saw them concede a third and have Mintus sent off.
O'Connor restored the Reds' healthy advantage, converting the rebound of a Forrester strike that had been saved by Dzialuk.
Bernard then matched an attempt from Euan Griffiths just seconds before Mintus received his second yellow card.
Derby, however, clawed themselves a lifeline when Clarke carried the ball from the halfway line and kept his composure to finish from close range.
It set up a nervy finale – which included a disallowed leveller, Simeon Fearon striking the post and Bernard pulling off a save – but Sonni-Lambie's tidy goal made sure of the win with 90+9 on the clock.
Team
Liverpool U18s: Bernard, Hickman, Ayman (Powney Wain, 60), Cisse (Murray-Holme, 46), Clarke, Upton (Owen, 46), Abe (Sonni-Lambie, 60), Eden, Lee Forrester, Farkas, O'Connor.
Unused sub: M. Wright.
Next up
The young Reds travel to Slovakia on Tuesday to face MSK Zilina in the UEFA Youth League's Round of 32.
The one-legged tie kicks off at 3.30pm GMT and will be shown live on All Red Video.