AcademyU21s match report: Liverpool beaten on penalties by Palace in PL2 play-off

Will Wright opened the scoring 12 minutes into the last-16 encounter, but Palace were ahead before the half-hour mark as Rio Cardines and then Zach Marsh netted.

Opportunities flowed throughout the game and Rob Page’s Reds restored parity in the second period courtesy of another Wright finish.

Extra-time followed and the hosts had to dig deep again after Craig Farquhar put the visitors back in front, with Keyrol Figueroa equalising on 112.

A shootout from 12 yards was required to separate the sides and Palace prevailed 3-1 as their goalkeeper Harry Lee made three saves.

Liverpool had made an assertive start at the Kirkby Academy and crafted a chance within seven minutes.

Wright and Kieran Morrison concocted a one-two at the right corner of the Palace area that sprung the former into the box, but his finish was sliced wide when slightly off balance.

The striker made no such mistake the next time the two combined.

Morrison slid a pass in behind and, despite being second-favourite to reach it, Wright got ahead of Farquhar and rolled this shot past the goalkeeper.

Their lead was short-lived, however.

Mor Talla Ndiaye conceded a free-kick 20 yards out and Cardines arced the dead-ball over the wall and inside the left post to level.

Momentum swung to the visitors with the equaliser and Liverpool needed Armin Pecsi to produce a reaction low save to thwart a header.

But Palace did get in front in the 29th minute, Marsh claiming the final – flicked off the heel – touch to direct a cross from the right flank into the net.

There were three attempts by Trey Nyoni as the Reds rallied, respectively blocked in the area, pulled wide and tipped over by goalkeeper Lee.

The Eagles were foiled by the woodwork twice, though, including George King guiding a header onto the crossbar in first-half added time.

A flurry of chances ensued from the restart, with one passage of play seeing Morrison denied by Lee at one end and, seconds later, Pecsi tipping wide a Dean Benamar strike after a surging run.

Amara Nallo sent a back-post header off target from a corner kick, while Lucas Pitt timed a sliding block superbly to prevent Marsh finishing a turn inside the area.

The next goal was going to be pivotal – and Liverpool got it.

Two minutes shy of the hour mark, Morrison’s dribbling on the right wing created room for a teasing low cross that Wright pounced upon to clinically tuck in.

Back came Palace immediately and Marsh was able to line up a strike from a central position 10 yards out that rattled away off the crossbar.

With Morrison a constant spark, the Reds were threatening a third, but Pecsi had to correctly judge a smother when Ben Casey snuck into a one-v-one.

The end of normal time arrived with the score still 2-2 and an additional half-hour began with Liverpool taking the upper hand.

Yet another Morrison scamper into the box forced a clearance off the goalline, although as fatigue steadily set in, the chances dried up.

A lovely Morrison delivery just evaded the arriving Josh Sonni-Lambie yards out, before, on 107 minutes, the Eagles regained the advantage.

The ball was not cleared from a deep free-kick lofted into the area and eventually Farquhar controlled it and prodded a finish past Pecsi.

Reds substitute Figueroa immediately had a near-post nod deflected wide after Morrison’s latest run and pinpoint cross.

But the USA youth international did not pass up a second chance, meeting Calvin Ramsay’s hoisted cross from the left side with a brilliant downward header to make it 3-3.

No further goals meant it went to penalties, with Lee keeping out the efforts from Michael Laffey, Wright and Figueroa to send Palace through.

Liverpool: Pecsi, Ramsay, Nallo, Ndiaye, Pitt, Kelly (Laffey, 60), Morrison, McConnell (Pilling, 60), W. Wright, Nyoni (Bradshaw, 91), Sonni-Lambie (Figueroa, 106).

Unused sub: Misciur.