AcademyU21s match report: Keyrol Figueroa hits hat-trick in Liverpool's derby win over Everton

The Reds produced a brilliant attacking display in the mini-Merseyside derby at the Kirkby Academy, with Calvin Ramsay their other scorer.

Figueroa scored the game's opener in the fifth minute, though it was quickly equalised by Francis Gomez.

However, Rob Page's team never looked back after George Finney was sent off for the Blues midway through the first half.

Ramsay restored their lead and further Figueroa efforts either side of the break gave them a cushion they more than deserved.

The hosts survived a scare inside 60 seconds – Aled Thomas denied by Kornel Misciur from close range off a corner – before they went ahead.

Kaide Gordon skipped past a couple of challenges from blue shirts in the left channel and then perfectly cut the ball back for Figueroa, who dispatched his finish into the corner of the net.

It was 1-0 for only seven minutes, however, as Gomez powerfully smashed home a George Morgan cross that ran through to the back post.

Liverpool then asserted their dominance and gained the man advantage in minute 27 when Finney was dismissed for a lunge on Lucas Pitt.

An attacking bombardment had the Reds 3-1 up at the break, and it could have been more.

Gordon was the creator again for their second goal, his delivery into the box finding Ramsay's late dart and the full-back nodding past George Pickford.

Pickford did deny Gordon from the penalty spot, awarded for a William Tamen pull on Figueroa, but Page's side would not be denied a two-goal lead much longer.

Five minutes before the interval, Figueroa grabbed his second with a glancing header from an accurate ball by Trent Kone-Doherty.

Gordon then hit the post on a rapid counter-attack and Elijah Campbell blocked Joe Bradshaw's follow-up on the line, with Wellity Lucky squandering the final chance of the period.

As expected, much of the action was played in Everton's half following the interval.

Pickford was called into action twice by Gordon ahead of Michael Laffey bending an effort onto the post off a short-corner routine.

The fourth goal did not arrive for Liverpool until the 89th minute.

Figueroa drove hard and low from inside the box to secure possession of the match ball, after good play from Kone-Doherty and substitute Afolami Onanuga.

Team

Liverpool: Misciur, Ramsay (Ewing, 59), Lucky, Nallo, Pitt, Laffey, Bradshaw (Onanuga, 81), Pilling (Pinnington, 85), Figueroa, Gordon, Kone-Doherty.

Unused subs: Mrozek, Davidson.

Next up

The U21s are back at home next weekend, too, when they host Middlesbrough.

Kick-off for that game on Saturday is 2pm GMT.