Match reportLiverpool beat Fulham 3-0 to reach Youth Cup quarter-finals
Liverpool U18s moved through to the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals with a 3-0 defeat of Fulham at the Academy on Sunday.
Having survived an opening 45 minutes in which the visitors created a series of clear chances, the Reds were a different team after half-time and made their improvement count.
Lewis Koumas’ classy header got his side in front and they delivered another goal within seconds, Kieran Morrison finding the top corner emphatically.
Another opportunistic long-range Jayden Danns finish extended the lead and ensured Liverpool will be in the last eight of the competition, taking on either Sheffield United or Leeds United away from home.
The effectiveness of Fulham’s high press was the key feature of the early stages and it led to a chance within three minutes.
Lemar Gordon cut out Michael Laffey’s pass from the back and after the visitors worked the ball to the edge of the area, it was his low shot deflected wide.
Aaron Loupalo-Bi then carved out a strike for himself with a twisting dribble 20 yards from goal, though he followed suit by dragging his finish the wrong side of the left post.
Loupalo-Bi could have opened the scoring just past the quarter-hour as he partially stepped around Liverpool goalkeeper Kornel Misciur – but the shot was fluffed under pressure and the hosts cleared.
Still, Fulham continued to be the stronger threat and Jonathan Esenga’s excellent cross teed up Oliver Gofford at close range for a header that he could not get over and nodded too high.
Danns pinged a low free-kick that whistled past the far post six minutes before the interval, in what was the Reds’ closest effort of the half.
The away side were then denied by Misciur. Loupalo-Bi slid through a pass that got Gofford completely free one-on-one with the ’keeper, who stood up superbly to push a high shot over the crossbar.
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Marc Bridge-Wilkinson will have demanded more from his Liverpool team and they emerged from the break with a more assured showing.
Only a crucial sliding block prevented Trey Nyoni from putting them in front on 51, the midfielder having stepped into shooting space yards out, from Trent Kone-Doherty’s set-up.
And five minutes later, the Reds produced a quickfire double that irrevocably turned the momentum of the tie around.
Morrison was involved in both, with his arrowed cross from the right flank met with an outstanding Koumas header that the forward arced beyond the grasp of Marco Underwood.
Almost immediately from kick-off, Bridge-Wilkinson’s boys marched into Fulham territory again and Morrison thundered a 20-yard finish into the top right corner for a 2-0 scoreline.
Liverpool’s confidence was naturally flowing now and they put the game to bed as the contest entered its 73rd minute.
Danns wrestled himself ahead of Luc De Fougerolles to reach Morrison’s header into the opposition half, and he spotted the goalkeeper out of position before lashing in goal three from around 25 yards.
A fourth might have come – Underwood’s save keeping out Koumas’ blast and Danns then just unable to connect with Kone-Doherty’s delivery across goal – but the Reds had done enough to continue their Youth Cup journey.
TEAM
Misciur, Davidson, Pinnington, Pitt, Nallo, Laffey (K. Kelly, 78), Kone-Doherty, Morrison, Danns (Pennington, 90+1), Nyoni, Koumas.
Unused subs: Morana, Enahoro-Marcus, Giblin, Gyimah, Figueroa.
NEXT UP
The U18s are back in league action when Blackburn Rovers visit the Academy next Saturday for an 11am GMT kick-off that will be live on LFCTV GO.
By then, the Reds will know their next Youth Cup opponents – Sheffield United and Leeds play their fifth-round tie on Wednesday.