AcademyU21s match report: Liverpool win seven-goal thriller with West Brom
Rob Page's side fell behind twice in Sunday's game, with a Miller McDonald finish and own goal sandwiching a response from Will Wright.
But the young Reds then moved through the gears at the Kirkby Academy as Trey Nyoni, Rio Ngumoha and Kieran Morrison all scored.
That proved sufficient to clinch three points despite Ryan Colesby bringing the Baggies back to within one.
Liverpool had crafted the first attempt on goal inside the opening two minutes.
Kyle Kelly's threaded short pass into the area presented Trent Kone-Doherty the chance to shoot, but his drive flew over the upright.
West Brom shrugged off that early scare to impose a period of pressure that included gaining a ninth-minute lead.
A slick passing move in the right channel saw the ball served across the area, where McDonald was free at the back post and tucked a finish into the bottom left corner.
They might have immediately scored again. Souleyman Mandey sidestepped two to reach the edge of the box and his blast was straight at Armin Pecsi to punch away.
The Reds composed themselves and were close when Clae Ewing attacked space on the left and delivered a low cross that Wright would have pounced on without a defender's intervention.
The Baggies were helpless to stop Wright on 24 minutes, though.
Nyoni's pinpoint through pass allowed the striker to go one-on-one and he calmly rounded the goalkeeper and rolled the ball home.
West Brom's advantage was, to Liverpool's frustration, restored within moments. In trying to prevent Mandey from converting a rebounded effort, Noah Adekoya conceded an own goal.
But the home team swiftly got back on terms amid a flurry of goals.
Ngumoha raced past his marker down the left and picked out an unmarked Kone-Doherty at the back stick. With the ball stuck under his feet, he unselfishly set up Nyoni for a tap-in.
Brian Okonkwo in the away net caught a close-range header from Adekoya after a brilliant nod across the box by Wright.
Liverpool gained a lead to take into the interval, however, and it was emphatic from Ngumoha.
The teenager skipped around two opponents as he moved in from the left corner of the area and unleashed a rocket into the far side of the target.
Ngumoha, Ewing and Kone-Doherty all threatened to provide a fourth as the Reds purred ahead of half-time.
The match's open nature continued from the outset of the second half and Page's charges got their fourth goal four minutes in.
Ngumoha led a counter with a long dribble and fed Wright, who kept the ball in at the byline and rasped a cutback to Morrison.
The PL2 Player of the Month for January took a touch to control and fired a low hit past the 'keeper.
Alfie Maughan deflected another Ngumoha attempt to the wrong side of the post and Wright was denied by Okonkwo as he stretched for Morrison's cross yards out.
West Brom reduced their deficit back to one goal just past the hour mark.
A flowing string of forward passes culminated in a first-time cross from the right flank that teed up Colesby for a straightforward finish.
Nyoni saw a low strike across goal stopped and both sides continued to commit numbers forward in the search for goals.
But the count remained at seven, not least courtesy of a Ewing block in the last of five added minutes, as Liverpool's one-goal margin secured the win.
Team
Liverpool U21s: Pecsi, Ramsay (Davidson, 80), Pinnington, Adekoya, Ewing, Kelly (Laffey, 75), Kone-Doherty, Morrison, W. Wright, Nyoni, Ngumoha (Pilling, 69).
Unused subs: Poytress, Onanuga.
Next up
Liverpool are on the road to face Nottingham Forest on Friday (February 20) in Premier League 2.
Kick-off at Loughborough University is 7pm GMT and the game will be shown live on All Red Video.