AcademyU21s match report: Liverpool suffer home defeat by Burnley in PL2
Liverpool U21s were beaten 3-2 by Burnley in their Premier League 2 contest on Monday afternoon.
On their first competitive home appearance of the new season, Rob Page’s side went in front through an early own goal but were pegged back before the break by Kian McMahon-Brown’s finish.
Manuel Benson added to the turnaround for the visitors eight minutes into the second period and though Kieran Morrison hauled the Reds level, McMahon-Brown quickly hit the target again to give the opposition all three points.
Liverpool had settled into control of the ball at the outset amid a sunny Kirkby Academy, but still might have fallen behind on seven minutes.
A dangerous free-kick delivery from the right flank was plum for Murray Campbell in the centre of the box but he failed to get firm contact on an attempted header and flicked it wide.
Momentum soon swung back to the home team and a good save was required when Jayden Danns deftly controlled a pass from Trent Kone-Doherty at the edge of the area, turned and thumped a low shot on goal.
Then, on 16 minutes, the Reds profited from Burnley’s misfortune.
Jack McEvilly was looking to clip a pass back to his goalkeeper but got too much power and height on the touch, instead sending the ball over his teammate’s head and into his own net.
Liverpool threatened to compound that new advantage immediately, though Charlie Casper showed firm hands to deny Morrison before Danns rasped a strike just too high.
The pattern of the game was largely maintained until the visitors conjured a leveller on the stroke of half-time.
A long ball forward sent Michael Mellon in behind – the Reds were convinced he was offside but the officials judged otherwise – and his onward touch allowed McMahon-Brown to thrash a finish past Armin Pecsi.
Calvin Ramsay saw a low cross-shot cleared away from goal after a composed touch carved out space inside the area, in the last action of the opening 45 minutes.
From the restart, McMahon-Brown squandered a chance to double his and Burnley’s tally, a heavy touch preventing a shot after Tommy Pilling had lost possession in his own territory.
Morrison was then denied at the other end. Teed up in space brilliantly by Danns’ hold-up play in the box, the No.7’s effort was pushed out by the goalkeeper.
The lively Kone-Doherty sent a strike too straight at Casper from an angle as Liverpool pushed; but it was the Clarets who netted next.
A quick turnover led to a left-wing cross being rolled across the Reds’ area and finding Benson, who calmly took a touch to set himself and shaped a curler into the far bottom corner.
Another Ramsay knock at goal was blocked near the line by Casper and his defence, while Kone-Doherty’s clip aiming to nestle inside the post was the latest to be halted by the increasingly inspired Burnley ’keeper.
Liverpool were clearly going to need something special to get back on terms, and midway through the second period they produced it.
Michael Laffey won the ball in his own half, Terence Miles pinged it over the top to free Morrison and he scampered forward through the right channel, cut inside his marker and lashed a finish into the corner.
Frustratingly, the home side enjoyed parity for only four minutes. A long kick to Mellon saw him denied by Pecsi, emerging from his goal, and the rebound landed kindly for McMahon-Brown to tuck into the exposed net.
Casper’s remarkable performance continued as he beat out a Pilling blast and stopped Kone-Doherty from yards out with his legs, somehow keeping the ball from crossing the line.
Substitute Will Wright hooked a volley off target from Ramsay’s centre and Keyrol Figueroa – also on from the bench – guided a shot too close to Casper having opened up space at the edge of the box.
Diagonal deliveries from Morrison were a regular threat and one more deep into stoppage time picked out Wright at the back post, but he could only glance wide.
Team
Liverpool: Pecsi, Ramsay, Pinnington, Lucky (Airoboma, 90+4), Miles, Pilling, Morrison, Nyoni, Danns (Wright, 73), Laffey (Figueroa, 80), Kone-Doherty.
Unused subs: Misciur, Davidson.
Next up
It is now a short turnaround for Page’s side, who are back in Premier League 2 action away at Stoke City on Friday (August 29).
Kick-off for that game at Clayton Wood Training Centre is 7pm BST.