Liverpool FC Forum

Owzat wrote:http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N165590090827-2055.htm

LATE PENALTY DEFEATS RESERVES
James Carroll at Leigh Sports Village 27 August 2009 
  A late penalty from Josh Morris condemned Liverpool Reserves to a 3-2 defeat against Blackburn Rovers in John McMahon's first competitive game in charge. 
Nathan Eccleston fired the Reds into an early lead with a fantastic curling shot, but Aaron Doran levelled for Rovers against the run of play before the break.
 
Eccleston claimed his and Liverpool's second with a smart near post finish in the early stages of the second period.
 
However, an unfortunate late own-goal by Daniel Ayala restored parity before Morris' injury-time penalty ensured the Reds began the 2009-10 Barclays Premier Reserve League North season with an undeserved defeat.
 
New signing Sotirios Kyrgiakos was given his Liverpool debut at the heart of the defence alongside Daniel Ayala, while injuries meant McMahon was forced to hand young scholar Liam Jacob his first appearance for the Reds in goal.
 
Meanwhile, Blackburn fielded a summer acquisition of their own in the form of former Real Madrid defender Michel Salgado.
 
McMahon's men made a busy opening to the game, crisply zipping the ball around the immaculate pitch at Leigh Sports Village.
 
Their bright start was rewarded inside three minutes when Eccleston cut inside after collecting the ball on the right and drilled an unstoppable shot into the top corner of Frank Fielding's goal from the edge of the area.
 
It was the dream start to the season for the reserves and it almost got even better when Daniel Pacheco released Eccleston through on goal. The youngster did well to hold off the challenge of Salgado, but his effort was smothered by Fielding at close quarters.
 
The visitors were dominant and Ayala's dangerous goal bound header was plucked out of the air by the Rovers 'keeper from a Jay Spearing free-kick, before Fielding denied Pacheco's chipped effort.
 
At the other end, Kyrgiakos was enjoying an encouraging opening to his Liverpool career. The Greek international was proving to be a commanding presence in the backline as he expertly marshalled his fellow defenders.
 
Blackburn's first chance of note did not arrive until the half hour mark when Andrew Haworth fizzed a dangerous free-kick narrowly wide of Jacob's far post.
 
It proved to be a sign of things to come as, seconds later, Aaron Doran collected the ball midway inside the Liverpool half before firing a powerful 25-yard drive into the bottom corner to claim an undeserved equaliser.
 
David Ngog flashed a shot over prior to Eccleston stinging the palms of Fielding as the Reds went in search of a quick riposte.
 
With half-time looming, the lively Pacheco produced a fantastic piece of skill to skip past Philip Jones on the edge of the box, but the Spaniard's final effort flew the wrong side of the post and the two teams went into the break on level terms.
 
McMahon withdrew impressive debutant Kyrgiakos during the interval, with Martin Kelly taking the place of the 30-year-old stopper.
 
Within moments of the restart, Liverpool had restored their lead. Pacheco's incisive pass allowed Eccleston to surge into the area, who then breezed beyond Josh Morris and hammered a shot past Fielding at his near post.
 
It should have been 3-1 soon after when Ngog collected Philipp Degen's dink into the box on his chest, but the French striker blazed his volley high over the bar from 10 yards.
 
Gerardo Bruna came within a whisker of further extending the visitors' advantage on 67 minutes when the winger drilled wide of the far post following excellent work by Pacheco once again.
 
But Rovers pegged the Reds back with 15 minutes remaining when Jacob palmed a dangerous low cross from Haworth against the unwitting Ayala and the ball bobbled into the back of the net.
 
Then, in stoppage time, Blackburn were awarded a penalty when Julio Santa Cruz went down inside the box and Morris made no mistake from 12 yards to claim all three points for the Lancashire side.
 
Blackburn Reserves: Fielding, Salgado (Morris 46), O'Connor, Flynn, Jones, Morrissey, Haworth, Lowe, Rigters, Doran (Santa Cruz 58), Marshall. Subs: Kean, Hall, Hanley.
 
Liverpool Reserves: Jacob, Degen, Kyrgiakos (Kelly 46), Ayala, Darby, Eccleston, Spearing, Plessis (Palsson 79), Bruna (Amoo 84), Ngog, Pacheco. Subs: Belford, Irwin.
 
Liverpoolfc.tv man of the match: Daniel Pacheco - Lively throughout and a constant threat to the Blackburn defence

bigmick wrote:

GYBS wrote:but the best of the lot seems to be Della Valle - scored two goals and looks a very very promising prospect

What chances do you think he's got of eventually playing in the first team on a regular basis 

See Ciggies latest post in the T&T thread. 

JoeTerp wrote:LDV started off in the reserves, and I don't think that they think he is ready yet. He went off injured in the first half hour of his first reserve pre-season game. Plus, if you play LDV in the ressies, then you take away time from Eccleton and Saric, who is highly rated but had injury issues last year.  But if you play LDV in the U18s, you aren't really taking time away from any strikers that are as highly touted.

A thorough and competent reply. Why, I thank you...

It'd be nice though to see one or all three get a run-out in the first team squad, even if it were the case of surprising the rest of the Premiership, and name one of them on the bench for a game, wouldn't it ? Not Rafa's style though....

What I'd give to see one of those lads dropped in at the deep end, and then bang in a hat-trick in 15 mins....

(And some day soon I'll stop smoking crack !    )

JoeTerp wrote:really looking forward to see Saric start tonight. I have only seen him in very short spells before, and he has usually been on the pitch with our less talented reserves (Simon, Flora, etc) and sometimes he was annonymous and sometimes he flashed with some really nice touches, but it was all too little to judge on (not that 1 reserve game is enough either)

Eccleston showed a lot of skill in the first reserve game.  He still drifted in and out of the match too much in the first half though.  But he does have pace and skill with both feet.  **Could**  maybe do a role similar to what we want from Babel, but he still has some developing to go

What's the point, none of them will ever make the first team under Rafa, FACT. What the feck is Rafa's problem with bringing through youngsters from the academy, either they are all which I highly doubt or Rafa has no faith in them and prefers playing his own desperation transfer buys liek Wash, I just can't figure out which it is.

aCe' wrote:Where do you watch the reserves games and u18s and all that Joe ?

Not that id actually be fcked sittig there and watching any of the games but just incase i decide to catch 10-15 mins or whatever....

GYBS wrote:

aCe' wrote:Where do you watch the reserves games and u18s and all that Joe ?

Not that id actually be fcked sittig there and watching any of the games but just incase i decide to catch 10-15 mins or whatever....

Its online on the website as well as on the LFC telly Ace