Football - Liverpool FC Academy: Liverpool under-18s turn attentions to FA Youth Cup after Manchester United defeat

Nov 24 2009 by Chris Wright, Liverpool Daily Post

Football - Liverpool FC Academy: LIVERPOOL under-18s turn their attentions to the FA Youth Cup third round and an Anfield clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers next Monday.

On Saturday Rodolfo Borrell’s side’s mixed fortunes this season continued when despite playing well they lost 3-1 to Manchester United at the Kirkby Academy.

It was Liverpool’s eighth FA Premier Academy League defeat of the season and they will be hoping the cup tie can give them some respite from a difficult campaign.

United took the lead on 16 minutes, when the Liverpool defence couldn’t cut out a low ball into the box and Will Keane curled past Chris Oldfield.

Liverpool hit back and the lively Tom Ince saw a superb 25-yard free-kick pushed away but United keeper Conor Devlin four minutes later.

Davide Petrucci fired wide for United, but Krisztian Adorjan couldn’t get past defender Dean McGinty onto excellent through-ball from Ince.

In the second half Ince just failed to get a touch on John Flanagan’s fine ball to the far post and soon after the visitors were 2-0 up through Nick Ajose.

Liverpool responded, but James Ellison headed wide. And on 67 minutes United sealed the points when Keane pounced on a defensive error to run and coolly slot home.

Substitute Adam Pepper did pulled one back with a minute left when his free-kick evaded the clutches of Devlin. But it proved to be little more than a consolation effort. but it proved too little, too late to affect the outcome.

Liverpool remain fifth in the Group C table and are not back in Academy League action until Saturday, December 5 when they visit Stoke City.

Before that they will start on the road to what they hope will be a fourth FA Youth Cup final appearance in the last five years against Wolves at Anfield on Monday night (kick-off 7pm).

The Kop will be open for spectators and admission is £4 for adults and £2 concessions (aged 16 or under and senior citizens).

LIVERPOOL UNDER-18s: Oldfield, Flanagan, Robinson (Ihiekwe 84), Sama, McGiveron, Coady, Wisdom, Roberts, Ellison, Adorjan (Pepper 62), Ince. Subs: Chamberlain, Roddan, Ngoo.