Liverpool lose out to experience

Oct 3 2007 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL Reserves were beaten 1-0 by an experienced Sunderland side in the Barclays FA Premier Reserve League North at Warrington’s Halliwell Jones stadium last night.

Liverpool began brightly and went close through Ray Putterill after six minutes, but his curling effort just cleared the crossbar.

Jordy Brouwer thought he had opened the scoring after 19 minutes, but his fine header was incorrectly ruled out by the referee’s assistant’s flag.

Sunderland began to threaten more as the half wore on, and went in front after 34 minutes when O’Donovan capitalised on confusion in the Liverpool defence to round Dave Martin and finish well from a tight angle.

David Connolly should have doubled the visitors’ lead in first-half stoppage time, but was denied by the outstretched boot of Martin.

Connolly was denied again by the keeper’s foot at the start of the second half, before Liverpool rallied and produced a spell of sustained pressure.

Insua crashed a 25-yard shot against the bar, and the outstanding Jay Spearing was denied by the keeper and also had a strong penalty appeal turned down.

Brouwer wasted a great chance to level when he put a free header over the bar, as Sunderland held on for the three points.

LIVERPOOL RESERVES: Martin, Darby, Insua, San Jose, Huth, Spearing, Flynn (Threlfall 81), Plessis, Lindfield (Pourie 83), Brouwer, Putterill (Crowther 68).

SUNDERLAND RESERVES: Carson, Halford, Harte, Hartley, Donoghue, Chandler (Dennehy 78), O’Donovan (Weir 81), Musampa, Stokes, Connolly, Murphy (Richardson 78).

REFEREE: Mr M Haywood.

ATT: 3,403.