by JC_81 » Fri Jan 20, 2006 1:37 pm
Here's the match report from .tv, although most of you will probably have read it. Good to see the young lad Anderson we got from Hull getting on the scoresheet. I think the youth team could win this competition, a lot of them have been getting a lot of experience in the reserve team already, Hobbs, Antwi and Roque especially. It's about time we did well at this level, the youth sides we have had over the last couple of years have been awful, basically since the Owen-Gerrard-Carra days.
Liverpool are through to the 5th round of the FA Youth Cup after a 2-1 victory over holders Ipswich Town at Anfield on Thursday night.
Second half goals from Paul Anderson and Ryan Flynn steered the Reds to a hard-earned win but they were forced to survive a late scare when Ipswich had what would have been a second equalising goal ruled out for offside and had keeper David Roberts to thank for an eye-catching performance between the sticks.
With a strong club delegation that included David Moores, Rick Parry, Rafael Benitez and Steven Gerrard watching from the stands the Liverpool youngsters had every incentive to impress as they strove to clinch a fifth round trip to Burnley.
But they took time to settle and it was the visitors who started the game brighter. In the 11th minutes Kieran Leabon capitalized on a slip by Roque and only a fine parried save by Dave Roberts denied him the opening goal.
It was a scare that seemed to wake the young Reds up and as the slowly found their rhythm Paul Anderson fired into the side-netting with what was a first home effort on goal and as we approached the half hour mark Jimmy Ryan blasted a free-kick into the Ipswich wall.
At the opposite end Roberts was called into action again moments later and just as before he did brilliantly to keep out the Blues, this time diving to his right to pull off a fine one-handed save.
As the game began to liven up Adam Hammill eased a period of Ipswich pressure when he tried his luck with a speculative dipping effort from 30-yards that was not far off the target, while on the stroke of half-time Roberts made his third stunning stop to palm a well-struck free-kick from Town skipper Chris Casement around the post.
Six minutes after the break Liverpool made the first change of the night when Charlie Barnett replaced Ryan and it paid immediate dividends. With what must have been his first touch of the ball Barnett's pass found Anderson on the edge of the box and the former Hull winger drilled a low shot with precision into the far bottom corner.
Unfortunately, Liverpool were in the lead for only ten minutes before Stuart Ainsley unleashed a thumping left-footed volley from the corner of the box past a helpless Roberts.
As a contest this tie was now developing into an entertaining end-to-end encounter and Hammill then weaved his magic to beat an Ipswich defender when cutting inside from the left and forced the keeper to tip his subsequent shot wide for a corner.
The Liverpool pressure continued and in the 72nd minute they claimed a deserved winner when Flynn found space in the visitors' box, after they'd failed to clear a corner, and latched onto a through ball from Antwi before coolly slotting the ball home from close-range.
Ainsley later went close to a second equaliser with a curling shot that went just beyond the far upright and there was widespread relief nine minutes from time when Leabon netted only for the goal to be ruled offside.
A tense finale ensued and Liverpool had Roberts to thank again in the closing stages when he saved superbly with his left leg to prevent extra-time.
Team: Roberts, Miki, Darby (captain), Hobbs, Antwi, Ryan (Barnett 52), Anderson, Flynn (Smith 90), Frayne (Lindfield 75), Hammill, Barratt. Subs not used – Mimms, Threlfall.