[Liverweb] Reds win FA Youth Cup

Liverweb Youth Cup Final Match Report

Manchester City 2 Liverpool 0

Liverpool win 3-2 on Aggregate

Liverpool : Roberts, Darby (C), Hobbs, Antwi, Threlfall, Anderson, Barnett,
Flynn, Barratt, Lindfield, Hammill

Subs: Roque for Barnett (45), Spearing for Hammill (59)

Subs Unused : Mimms, Nardiello, Ryan

Att : 9,150

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The Reds won the FA Youth Cup for only the second time despite going down
to a 2-0 defeat at the City of Manchester stadium. The Reds were forced to
defend for the whole game as City poured on pressure to get back the three
goal deficit they conceded last week at Anfield.

The Reds named an unchanged side for the match and after coming out to the
sight a huge away support lined up to hear the National anthem played.
After that Stephen Darby won the toss and elected to defend the end where
the Reds fans were in the first half. City got he game under way.

Reds fans were in good singing mood as the game got underway. On the pitch
though it was all City from the off. The home side had to gamble and had
welcomed Micah Richards back to the side. Richards missed the first leg due
to being in the first team squad and he was a shining light for City all night.

On six minutes Richards rose well to head a corner ball just wide. In his
attempt to get the ball he took out Evans of City and the Reds' Threlfall.
Threlfall was up and back in action after a quick bit of treatment but the
home side had to play with ten men for a few minutes as Evans went off for
stitches.

On ten minutes cam what might have been a very controversial incident. Dave
Roberts kicked clear from his area but after the game had carried on the
linesman stayed flagging at the area. Bizarrely and something that rarely
happens in the game the keeper was adjudged to have carried the ball out of
his area and a free kick was given. Thankfully that kick went over the bar.

The Reds just didn't have any control in the midfield on the night and it
stopped the Reds getting any possession and building on their three goal
cushion. City hammered away at the Reds but the defence was being well
marshalled by Antwi in particular.

On nineteen minutes the Reds were forced to clear an opportunity from Etuhu
off the line after failing to clear a corner ball. Nothing the Reds seemed
to do would stop the ball coming straight back at them. The outlet balls of
Anderson and Hammill just weren't being played accurate enough.

The best chance of the half for the Reds came on twenty six minutes when
Hammill latched on to a clearance from Anderson. He cut inside and allowed
Barratt the ball. His shot though was pushed away for a corner.

City managed to take the lead on thirty two minutes through Sturridge. The
young striker hit a superb shot from 25 yards out which left Roberts beaten
despite a full length dive. It was exactly what City deserved and exactly
what the Reds had dreaded.

City looked to build on the goal, whilst the Reds looked like they needed
half time and a reminder if not a change in tactics. The half time interval
saw Miki Roque coming on for Charlie Barnett who had seen the game drift
him by on the night.

The Reds started the second half a little better than the first although it
was still City making the most of the attacks. They were rewarded for their
play on fifty six minutes when Sturridge again hit the back of the net.
This time it came from a free kick which the Reds seemed to be sleeping on.
Sturridge saw the ball fall at his feet at the back post and he struck home
past Roberts.

This was now a crunch time in the game with the Reds just having one goal
advantage left and the tactics were quickly changed. Jay Spearing came off
the bench to replace Hammill who stormed down the tunnel - although he did
reappear soon after.

The move meant the Reds had two defensive minded midfielders on the pitch
now in Roque and Spearing. City looked to push on but the change for the
Reds slowly had it's desired effect. The Reds had a massive shout for a
penalty on sixty four minutes when Spearing struck a shot on goal from a
corner. The shot was goal bound but blocked by a City hand as he threw
himself out. This was a definite penalty in my book but Martin Atkinson
waved play on.

The Reds were now starting to get a foot in the game now and City chances
were starting to stretch out more. In fact on seventy seven minutes the
Reds nearly scored when Roque headed just over the bar from a corner kick.
It was to prove a tough final part of the game though as City tried
everything to equalise and force extra time. Richards controlled a ball on
eighty four minutes and then saw his overhead kick sail just wide of the goal.

As the clock ticked down though the game got stretched out more and more
and the Reds had some chance to break on the counter but Matthewson wasn't
called in to action at any time in the City goal. The City keeper actually
got nearer the action in the final minute of stoppage time when he came up
for a City corner. It was all to no avail though and as the final whistle
went the Reds players and subs went mad and all raced to one another and
also down to the end at which the Reds fans were standing.

This was a spectacular victory despite losing on the night as the Reds
showed great character not to cave in under pressure. Jay Spearing did
really well when he came on to help alter the balance of the Reds' midfield
whilst Godwin Antwi was a rock at the back for the Reds.

This is only the second time the Reds have won this trophy and it was great
to watch Stephen Darby follow in the foot steps of Phil Brazier and lift
the trophy aloft.

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For every first team result ever log on to the Liverweb season archive at
http://www.liverweb.org.uk/archive.htm
Choose from Each season and see all those pre-season friendlies and
testimonials as well as team photos and league and cup results

Whatever Liverpool FC you need it's all there in Liverweb. If it's not
mail me back and ask me.
Liverweb is your one stop site for everything LFC

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To join send an email to liverweb-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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