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WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - Saturday, November 7, 2020: Liverpool's substitute Oakley Cannonier during the Under-18 FA Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers FC Under-18's and Liverpool FC Under-18's at the Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground. Wolverhampton Wanderers won 2-1. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Liverpool U18s thrash Man United as striker makes it 5 goals in 2 games

Oakley Cannonier scored a hat-trick to make it five goals in two games to start the season, as the Liverpool under-18s sealed a 5-0 victory over rivals Man United.

Man United U18s 0-5 Liverpool U18s

U18 Premier League, Carrington
August 21, 2021

Goals: Cannonier 11′ 61′ 66′, Stephenson 32′, Miles 74′


After an injury-hit season that saw him make only eight appearances for the academy last time out, Cannonier has begun the new campaign as a first-choice starter in red-hot form.

A professional contract in July was followed by a productive pre-season and a brace in the 5-3 opening win over Stoke, with Marc Bridge-Wilkinson keeping him in the side for the trip to United despite the return of Mateusz Musialowski.

Musialowski, who started the under-23s’ opener against Man City, played a supporting role to Liverpool’s most famous ball boy, with Cannonier capping a five-goal thrashing of United with a hat-trick.

His first goal came in the 11th minute, finding space to tap in a cross from stand-in right-back Terence Miles, with Liverpool then required to hold firm as United began to attack.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, February 22, 2020: Liverpool's Luca Stephenson during the Under-18 FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Stoke City FC at the Liverpool Academy. Liverpool won 5-0. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

It was Reds midfielder Luca Stephenson – set to step up as a key player in the academy this term – who got the next goal, though, with a volley from the edge of the box finding the back of the net through a crowd.

Liverpool continued to threaten after the bench, with Bridge-Wilkinson bringing on James McConnell for Harvey Blair – back in the starting lineup after a long spell out through injury – and Cannonier back on the scoresheet on the hour.

The 17-year-old completed his hat-trick as great pressing work saw Melkamu Frauendorf through to square it across to Cannonier who made no mistake, before Miles capped the victory.

Not only has Cannonier scored five in his first two games of the season, but the U18s have now made it 10 throughout the side, in an emphatic start to the campaign for Bridge-Wilkinson’s youngsters.


Liverpool U18s: Pitaluga (Davies 69′); Miles, Bajcetic, Jonas, Chambers; Stephenson, Frauendorf, Balagizi; Musialowski (Davidson 81′), Blair (McConnell 46′), Cannonier

Subs not used: Roberts

Next match: Derby (H) – U18 Premier League – Saturday, August 28, 12.30pm (BST)