LIVERPOOL Youth team took a huge step towards a third FA Youth Cup final appearance in the past four years with a superb 3-0 victory over Birmingham City at St Andrews last night.
Two goals from Lauri Dalla Valle and another from David Amoo leaves Liverpool in a strong position ahead of next Friday’s semi-final second leg at Anfield.
Hugh McAuley’s side will be confident of completing the job at Anfield to set up a meeting with either Arsenal or Manchester City, with the Gunners leading 2-1 ahead of next Wednesday’s return at the Emirates.
Both sides wore black armbands and there was an impeccably observed minute’s silence at St Andrews before the match as a mark of respect for the 96 Liverpool supporters who died at Hillsborough 20 years ago this week.
McAuley’s side also put in an excellent performance on the pitch.
On five minutes Tom Ince steered Amoo’s cross towards goal, but Birmingham keeper Dean Lyness comfortably saved low down.
But it wasn’t long before Liverpool went ahead. Dalla Valle opened the scoring on 10 minutes. Both Nathan Eccleston and Amoo tried to get a shot in, but when the ball broke to the Finnish striker he steered a low shot out of reach of Lyness for his fourth of the competition and 17th of the campaign.
Amoo brilliantly doubled the lead on 23 minutes, cutting in from the right on a mazy run past a couple of home defenders before coolly finishing from six yards.
The match was effectively over with less than half an hour gone when Birmingham keeper Lyness, in trying to throw out, fumbled the ball straight to Dalla Valle, who rolled into the empty net for his second of the night.
Liverpool keeper Dean Bouzanis had to be alert to tip over a long-range effort from Shaun Timmins as Birmingham tried to get back into the match.
In injury time at the end of the first half Dalla Valle almost completed his hat-trick, but after a superb run and cross by Amoo, he saw his header pushed away by Lyness.
Birmingham came into the match at the start of the second half and Steve Irwin had to head off the line from a shot by Preston 10 minutes after the break, while Jarvis fired wide from the edge of the box.
Liverpool, though, could easily have made the margin of victory bigger.
Ince dribbled his way into the box, but his low shot was inches wide. Then Dalla Valle was also off target as he broke down the left on 64 minutes.
Ten minutes later Adam Pepper was denied by a superb fingertip save from Lyness, while the City keeper also saved from German full-back Christopher Buchtmann as Liverpool continued to search for more goals.
Liverpool kept coming forward and Ince was again off target from substitute Alex Kacaniklic’s pull-back.
In the final minute Pepper saw a fierce low shot come back off the post and Lyness saved as the midfielder followed up.
BIRMINGHAM YOUTH: Lyness; Hrovec, Timmins, McPike, J Rowe, Preston, Hubbins, Sammons, Gradwel (Bogle 79), Jervis, Sheldon (Williams 79). Subs: L Rowe, Butland, Packwood.
LIVERPOOL YOUTH: Bouzanis; Irwin, Ayala, Kennedy, Buchtmann; Wisdom, Pepper; Amoo, Ince, Eccleston (Kacaniklic 60); Dalla Valle. Subs: Chamberlain, Cooper, Robinson, Clare.
ATT: 4,238.
