On what was a proper winter’s day at the Kirkby home of Liverpool’s academy, young Reds were in action across numerous pitches and it was conflicting fortunes for the 18s and the 21s respectively.
A little watered down on option with the likes of Ben Doak and Jarell Quansah on first-team duty, both teams fielded unfamiliar and particularly youthful lineups for their respective clashes.
The 18s welcomed Middlesbrough to Merseyside whilst the 21s faced West Ham United in Premier League 2 as Marc Bridge-Wilkinson and Barry Lewtas looked to continue a promising start to the 23/24 campaign.
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Despite the new-look side, the 18s were fired to victory by an inspired performance from Kieran Morrison as the direct running winger struck a hat-trick which included a stunning second.
The mini-Reds took the lead following an evening opening 20 minutes before being pegged back by the visitors from the North East – 1-1 at the break and nothing to split the teams in terms of chances.
Early on in the second half, a Morrison wonder strike restored the lead for the hosts before the talented 16-year-old rounded off the scoring and secured the win late on.
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Despite the likes of James McConnell and Luke Chambers lining up for the 21s, it was always likely to be an uphill battle for the Reds as West Ham boasted a vast advantage in the experience column.
Liverpool gave as good as they got for large parts of the game with 16-year-old trio Trey Nyoni, Amara Nallo and Carter Pinnington all standing up to be counted against the opponents.
But ultimately the added nous of the visiting east Londoners proved too much as West Ham proved too clinical on the counter especially, putting four past Fabian Mrozek.
Mateusz Musialowski was lively for the hosts but the Polish attacker saw his best attempt come back off the post – the closes Liverpool came all afternoon in this one.
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A mixed day overall for the academy sides but plenty of positives still to take from tough conditions – braved also by the Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk who was in attendance!
