LIVERPOOL under-18s put successive defeats behind them with an excellent 4-1 victory at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
It has been a tough opening for Rodolfo Borrell’s youngsters in the FA Premier Academy League. Saturday was only their third win in the first seven games of the season, but came as a relief after back-to-back defeats to Manchester City and Sunderland.
Last week’s 6-2 loss against City came despite Liverpool starting well and taking the lead. And they also opened the scoring on Saturday when James Ellison, who has missed a fair bit of football over the past six months with a back problem, opened the scoring.
Liverpool were in the ascendancy for most of the first half and were 3-0 up at the break. Ellison scored his second goal, while German international Christopher Buchtmann was also on target.
The hosts came out fighting in the second half and reduced the arrears, but Liverpool were always dangerous. And they wrapped up the points when Denmark under-17s international striker Nicolaj Kohlert, making his U18s debut as a substitute after his summer move from Danish side Esbjerg, restored the three-goal advantage.
Liverpool will be keen to build on the victory at West Bromwich Albion when they take on Bolton Wanderers at the Kirkby Academy on Saturday (kick-off 11am).
Bolton are currently second in the north west section, a table which is headed by Blackburn Rovers. Liverpool lie in seventh spot, but a win would put them within just a point behind this Saturday’s visitors.
Bolton have been in good form this season winning four of their seven matches and will look for revenge on Liverpool, who knocked them out of the FA Youth Cup at the quarter-final stage last season.
But after last week’s win Liverpool will be hoping they have turned a corner.
Borrell still has a number of players in his squad out injured including Lauri Dalla Valle, Alex Cooper, Karl Clair and Craig Roddan.
LIVERPOOL UNDER-18s: Oldfield; Flanagan, Wisdom, Robinson, McGiveron; Ince, Coady, Roberts, Buchtmann; Ellison, Saric (Kohlert). Subs: Sama, Chamberlain, Ihiekwe, Pepper.
