FA Youth Cup 4th Round - Liverpool 2 Ipswich Town 1 (Jan 19 2006)

[TLW]

LIVERPOOL U18 2 Ipswich U18 1

Report by Dave Usher at Anfield

Scorer(s) - Paul Anderson, Ryan Flynn Half Time - 0-0 Venue - Anfield Date - Thu 19 Jan 2006 Star Man - Dave Roberts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ryan Flynn's 71st minute strike sent the reds through to the 5th round of the FA Youth Cup, as holders Ipswich Town were edged out 2-1 in an entertaining game at Anfield. Paul Anderson had given the reds the lead early in the 2nd half, but Ipswich had levelled ten minutes later only to be undone by Flynn's cool finish.

Liverpool made two changes to the side which started in the previous round against Cardiff. Paul Barratt - a lively substitute in that game - started on the left of midfield whilst James Frayne came in up front. Michael Nardiello and Besian Idrizaj were the two who missed out, presumably through injury.

Adam Hammill was given a roving role behind Frayne, and the skilful youngster provided the home side's best attacking outlet all evening. Much like the previous round however, Liverpool just couldn't get going in the first half, and it needed keeper David Roberts to be at his best to keep the dangerous visitors out.

Roberts made his first save after only six minutes, when a rare mistake from Godwin Antwi let Darryl Knights in. Roberts was very quick off his line though and smothered the danger before the striker could get his shot away.

Five minutes later, an error by Miki Roque presented Leaban with a great chance, but Roberts was down well to his right to make an excellent save. The reds' backline is the strength of this side, but they made a nervous start to the game and it's very unusual to see anyone getting the better of Roque and Antwi.

After those early scares however, the defence settled and Antwi in particular turned in another powerful performance at the heart of the defence. Ipswich still created chances, but then they did have seven players remaining from the squad which lifted the trophy last year and were never going to be easy opponents.

The reds weren't playing with any fluency, but still created one or two decent openings in the first period. Hobbs won a header from a right wing corner, but it was blocked by a defender when it seemed destined for goal.

Then James Frayne sent a glancing header just wide following an Anderson cross after good link play by Hammill. Roberts was called into action again on the half hour, when he made an excellent stop from the dangerous Leaban. Ipswich were looking the more likely scorers at this stage, but Hammill almost caught them out with a dipping half volley from 35 yards which beat the keeper but just didn't come down quick enough.

The closest either side came to a goal was in first half stoppage time, when Ipswich were awarded a ludicrous free kick after Roque had cleanly, and clearly won the ball on the edge of his own box. Town skipper Casement curled the ball towards the top corner, but Roberts flew across his goal and somehow tipped the ball over the bar. Magnificent save.

Liverpol needed to improve in the second half, and they did. Jimmy Ryan was replaced by Charlie Barnett, a move which personally I wouldn't have made but which worked perfectly. Ryan had done ok, but the reds were not dominating midfield and in fact were struggling to play through the midfield at all.

I wanted Barnett to be brought on, as he's an excellent player and was unlucky not be starting, but I would have taken off Ryan's midfield partner Flynn. Luckily I'm not in charge, as Flynn got the winner and he and Barnett did a good job in gaining control of the middle fo the park.

Within seconds of coming on Charlie had set up the opening goal. He collected the ball in the Ipswich half, drew two defenders towards him before slipping the ball wide to Anderson, who hit a low first time shot which found it's way past the Ipswich keeper and into the Kop goal.

Ipswich responded on the hour mark by bringing on Charlie Sheringham, son of Teddy, and within a minute of him coming on they were level. The ball was worked out to the left edge of the box, and Ainsley struck a perfect shot across Roberts into the far corner of the net. A great strike to be fair.

Liverpool didn't let it knock their confidence however, and were playing some good stuff in the 2nd half. Immediately after conceding, the reds went right up the other end and went close to regaining the lead. Barnett led the charge upfield, and delivered a perfect pass into the path of Hammill on the left. He jinked around the last defender and hit a powerful shot which the keeper just about diverted around the post.

Hammill had started to lead Ipswich a merry dance now, and his fancy footwork and lovely balance delighted the sparse crowd on the Kop. A little over a thousand were there, which is pretty shit really. Mind you, the club charging £4 and not allowing free access to season ticket holders doesn't help, nor does the lack of publicity given to these games before hand.

Anyway, Liverpool continued to press for the winner, and were rewarded when Ipswich failed to deal properly with a corner and the ball fell to Hobbs outside the box. He drilled the ball back in, and Antwi controlled well before slipping a lovely little ball through to Flynn. The young Scot had all the time in the world, and because of that he could have panicked. He didn't though, he was almost casual in the way he slotted the ball past the keeper. Nerves of steel!

Craig Lindfield was brought on up front in place of the tiring Frayne, and after that the reds sat back and just tried to hit on the break. Unfortunately Hammill picked up a knock and also looked shattered, which significatnly reduced the attacking threat.

Ipswich poured forward in search of another equalier, and they thought they had it nine minutes from time when Leaban played a one two and forced his way through to finish well. The Ipswich players were jubilant and were celebrating wildly, so wildly that they hadn't seen the linesman's flag. I don't think it was for offside, as the linesman seemed to signal that Leaban had tugged the shirt of a defender as he went through.

Knights then had a great chance to level the scores with three minutes left, but his shot was saved well by the outstretched boot of the heroic Dave Roberts. Flynn then picked up a knock and was forced off, replaced in stoppage time by Francis Smith, who still hasn't completed his expected move to Hearts.

As the reds ran down the clock, twice they were penalised for taking th eball into the corners. First Anderson had a free kick given against him as he shielded the ball by the touchline. That was bad enough, but the official then did the same thing when Lindfield took the ball to the corner.

There was no phyical contact between our players and the defenders, they simply took the ball to the corner and tried to hold onto it. For reasons known only to the official he deemed that worthy of a free-kick. Maybe he gets paid overtime if the game goes into extra time?

Ipswich threw everything forward, but couldn't find a way through Hobbs and Antwi, and the reds held on to set up a meeting with Burnley at Turf Moor in the next round.

It's difficult to say how far the side can go in the competition, as I have no idea who is left in it or how good they are. Defensively the side is very strong, and in Hammill we have a player who on his day can be brilliant. There isn't an out and goalscorer in the side, but the midfield are all capable of getting goals.

The main problem is consistency. In the first half of both games so far, the lads have been poor. They've impressed in both games after the break, and if they can maintain that kind of form then they have a chance of going all the way. First though, they have to beat Burnley.

Star Man was an easy decision. Godwin was really good, and Hammill played well too, but Dave Roberts is the main reason the side are still in the competition.


Team: Roberts; Roque, Antwi, Hobbs, Darby; Anderson, Ryan (Barnett), Flynn (Smith), Barratt; Hammill, Frayne (Lindfield):