Forthcoming Fixtures

Liverpool Avenge Academy Defeat

MCFC Reserves 2 - 3 LFC Reserves

A very open and entertaining game, between two contrasting sides; a cosmopolitan Liverpool side, against the mainly British and Irish based blues; but with both sides fielding an under twenty one team. The game however was finally decided in the final three minutes in favour of the visitors despite City coming twice from behind with a brace by David Ball.
Liverpool took the lead within two minutes when large gaps in the defence was exploited as a through ball found Garry Breen flat footed and Hungarian Krisztian Nemeth and he placed the ball past Filip Mentel in goal.
City had a chance to level things up just over ten minutes after when Paul Marshall was brought down on the edge of the area, but the referee pulled the ball back for the original foul about five yards further back. Marshall could only cannon the effort of the wall behind for a corner.
On twenty minutes, City were forced into a change when Adam Clayton and Javan Vidal collided while going for the same ball, Adam originally looked to have been the worse off, but clearly it was Javan that had taken the knock worse and had to be stretchered off to be replaced by Curtis Obeng; who in my opinion is a better player anyway as Javan is far too casual in his play; but I hope Javan has no lasting effects from his clash.
Liverpool were very fortunate to still be in the lead on twenty eight minutes when a Karl Moore cross was fired back in across goal by Kelvin Etuhu, but Ball failed to connect with the ball at the far post.
Liverpool nearly doubled their lead ten minutes later when a good move down city’s left and the ball came across to the opposite side of the penalty area where Liverpool’s Ray Putterill hit the ball first time as he attempted to curl the ball into the far corner but a great save by Mentel denied him the second goal.
City then bought proceedings level when Marshall was fouled on the right. He stepped up to swing the ball into the Box and one of the smallest players in the box, David Ball converted the cross into the net past Liverpool’s other Hungarian, Peter Gulacsi.
City failed to hold that position as an in-swinging corner was missed by Mentel and all defenders as Nemeth rose unchallenged to head into an empty net.
Liverpool seemed to sit back a bit in the second half and the change in City’s engine room seemed to engineer more drive to the team.
Thirteen minutes after the break was a chance that Moore saw go straight at the keeper from twenty yards as Ashley Grimes found him with a cross field pass over the top.
Michael Daly then made his presence felt as he burst through into the box with the ball to feed David Ball but Bally was unable to get the ball past Gulacsi with at least two attempts.
Mentel then kept City in the game after a careless lunge by Breen left substitute Daniel Pacheco free to run into the box. That was Breen’s last action after he was booked for the challenge. Clayton McDonald then came on to replace him, and steadied the back line as he was far more commanding with his presence.
Three minutes later City were level again when good work down the left by Moore, sent in a deep cross which was met by Kelvin, who had a quiet second half, knocked it back in for Ball to fire into the net from inside the box.
That led to an immediate fight back by Liverpool, but after that was thwarted, there only looked like one winner as City drove forward. As the game drew into the final five minutes Grimes found his good work gave him the time and space as he drove into the box and flashed a low driven effort across goal that was deflected wide for a corner.
However with three minutes left the ball from midfield came out to Jay Spearing on the left as he evaded Sam Williamson and put a cross in that Mentel thought about coming for but stayed on his line and the City defence failed to get to it and it came across for Dutch striker Jordy Brouwer to win the game for Liverpool.
David Ball had a chance to grab the headlines and the match ball as the game went into stoppage time when a good move allowed the ball to come across the box and found Ball free, but his effort was just over the bar.
City showed the right attitude in this game by twice coming from behind, but you can only look at the fact that the damage was done in that City’s defence was all at sea apart from Ben Mee; even the reliable Williamson was very costly at times along with Garry Breen who I thought had a real nightmare and was surprised he lasted as long as he did. Then playing two ball players in midfield was tactically naïve, bringing Micky Daly on, helped things, but we were chasing the game then. With this result City allowed the chance to challenge the top spot in the league and now will need other results to go in our favour as the season progresses if we are to have a chance of fighting to win this season’s title that we let slip of to Bolton last season.


City: Mentel(GK), Vidal(Obeng 21), Williamson, Mee, Breen(McDonald 72), Clayton(M Daly 55), Etuhu, Grimes, D Ball, Marshall, Moore.

Subs: Hartley(GK), Mouritsen.

Liverpool: Gulacsi(GK), Darby, Insua, San Jose Dominguez, Kelly, Plessis, El Zhar, Spearing(Hurth 90), Brouwer, Nemeth(Pacheco 68), Putterill(Crowther 83).

Subs: Bouzanis, Bruna.