AcademyU21s match report: Liverpool suffer defeat away at Brighton & Hove Albion in Premier League 2

Jayden Danns and Lewis Koumas were on the scoresheet for the young Reds but three second-half goals from the hosts saw them run out winners.

After Harry Howell opened the scoring early on, Barry Lewtas' team responded quickly through Danns and took a 2-1 lead into half-time when Koumas netted from close range.

But Louis Flower equalised five minutes after the break and Howell then grabbed his second to put the Seagulls in front, with Jamie Mullins putting the game beyond doubt deep into stoppage time.

Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com post-match, U21s head coach Lewtas said: "It was a game of two halves. As good as we were in the first half, I was equally as disappointed with us in the second half.

"First half, I felt we could have been out of sight with the chances we missed and how we played. And second half, in fairness to them, they [Brighton] certainly stepped it up a bit but we couldn't just sustain the levels.

"A clichéd game of two halves and sadly we're on the wrong end of it."

TEAM

Liverpool U21s: Mrozek, Davidson, Pinnington, Nallo, Scanlon, McConnell, Gordon, Nyoni (Pilling, 73), Clark, Danns (Kone-Doherty, 68), Koumas.

Unused subs: O. Kelly, Spearing.

NEXT UP

The U21s are next in action on Sunday January 28 when they host Fulham at the Kirkby Academy. Kick-off for that Premier League 2 clash is at 12pm GMT.