An extremely strong Liverpool under-23s side, with all 10 outfield players having featured for the first-team this season, produced a late winner to beat Wolves under-23s.
Wolves U23s 1-2 Liverpool U23s
Premier League 2, St. George’s Park
Monday, 17 February 2020
The two sides drew 2-2 at Molineux last month in the Premier League International Cup and it looked like they would share the spoils again at St. George’s Park on Monday night until a late, late winner for the Reds.
Nine of the Liverpool side were making their first appearances since the FA Cup win over Shrewsbury, with only goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros and full-back Tony Gallacher – who made his debut at Aston Villa before Christmas – having not featured at Anfield a fortnight ago.
Unsurprisingly, Liverpool were the better side and should have been ahead in the first half. Leighton Clarkson missed a good chance, while Harvey Elliott went close with a free-kick, but it remained goalless at half-time.
Joe Hardy, a substitute vs. Shrewsbury, scored his third goal since arriving in January to open the scoring after a nice move involving Curtis Jones and Gallacher in the second-half.
But a penalty for Wolves U23s against the run of play saw Chem Campbell equalise from the spot after Sepp van den Berg was adjudged to have fouled – a decision that Liverpool’s players were furious with.
Neil Critchley‘s side looked sloppy as the game entered the final stages, with Wolves hitting the post and it looked like being points shared against the PL2’s bottom side.
But, just like the first-team, the young Reds found a way to win, with midfielder Jake Cain netting his eighth goal of the season with a lovely half-volley from just outside the box to win it in stoppage time.
The win moves the Reds’ U23s up to fifth in Premier League 2, nine points behind leaders Leicester. They’re next in action against Huddersfield at the Academy on Friday night in the Premier League Cup.
LFC under-23s: Jaros, Williams, Hoever, van den Berg, Gallacher, Chirivella (Dixon-Bonner 84′), Cain, Clarkson, Elliott, Hardy (Millar), Jones.
Subs not used: Winterbottom, Boyes, Bearne.
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