By Dan Clubbe

Following a dramatic comeback win for the Under 21s on Friday night in Norwich, the Reds Under 18s produced a revival of their own on Saturday morning at the AXA having trailed their Stoke City counterparts 2-0 at half time. 

Despite being more than a match for the visitors at times in the opening 45, Liverpool were undone by two clinical moments in the final third from the visitors and were left with it all to do in the second half. 

But, Simon Wiles’ side were upto the challenge and two goals from Joe Bradshaw – starting the comeback and adding the icing – plus Tyler Martin and Josh Sonni Lambie strikes completed a memorable comeback. 

All four goals were of the highest quality with Sonni Lambie’s strike in partiuclar catching the eye as the mini-Reds picked up a much-needed three points. 

Speaking after the match, manager Wiles was certainly pleased with the response of his side…

On the win: “I think the most important thing for me with this performance is more for the lads. I think, especially being at home this season so far, I think it’s really important that we try to start afresh when the lads come back into the new year and start trying to be better with the form of the performances. I know the one thing we’ve been going after this week in training is just bringing the energy and the work rate, and the desire that we showed in the early stages of the season. I think it’s important that they showed that today, and I felt like they did. I felt like they did in huge moments of the game. Quality, we would like to be better at times. But I’m delighted for all the players who have contributed to that.”

On the goals: “Yeah, well, that’s the most important thing, isn’t it? When you look at the players, you look at what talent they can bring, and we just spoke about that in there. When the lads get into the areas, and they settle themselves right, we know the quality that they can deliver. I think it’s some great individual moments, isn’t there?  Which is really pleasing. And I agree, I think the actual first half, I thought for the majority of the first half, I felt like we had some decent control with it, and we were creating it. We always mentioned scoring when you’re on top, and we felt like we were on top. And then we got hit with two goals, very similar goals, which we need to look at just to help the players develop and be better in those moments. But then, as you say, the second half, I just thought once we started creating early and we got that first goal, I felt like obviously the shift in the belief then came for the players. And then, as you say, I think even Tyler’s goal and then his assist for Joe in the back stick, and then you’ve got the quality of Josh Lambie’s instinctive finish. There are some really good moments, but it’s really important for us that we can keep trying to connect that consistent level of performance with the work rate that they show, because that’s what really pleased me the most today.”

On aims for the second half of the season: “Yeah, well, we’ve just always spoken about the level of consistency. That’s been the big thing, giving the players different challenges and different experiences that can help further their careers. Because ultimately, yes, we are a group, but we’re always trying to make sure that we keep delivering the best things that we can for the individuals to see how they can keep improving and keep developing. And I think when we spoke before the end of the year, we spoke about how I felt that the start of the season to the second half of the first half of the season, there was two different contrasts and there are a lot of contributing factors to that. So we’ve just spoken about how can we just try and remain a little bit more consistent? What does it need to look like? Keeping it really simple with the things that we’re going after. I think the lads will have their own little targets within because we have spoken to them about that and having some sort of accountability in terms of what they want to achieve by the end of it. And I’m sure today we’ll put them in a step in the right direction with what they want to do.”

On new arrivals for the academy: “I think it’s exciting. I think it’s what it does or does is it raises the level of the lads that we’ve got in the building as well. So if the recruitment side have identified players that they want to bring into the academy and see a real progression for them, then for our lads that we’re working with day to day, this is the level that we need to get you to. And I think when you’re training with better and playing with better, it’s only going to improve your game. And I think that side of it is really exciting because everything should enhance different challenges through training sessions, and obviously, the different challenges that you bring to big fixtures. So from that side of it, to know that you’ve got the backing of the hierarchy that can go and bring in these players is a really exciting factor for the club. And yeah, I’m looking forward to seeing them when they arriv,e and I’m looking forward to seeing the response that we get from our lads. Most importantly, we still want to try and get as many of those lads to where they want to get to as well. So we’ll keep working hard with them, us as a staff. And yeah, let’s keep progressing.”