Liverpool u18 2 Blackburn u18 0 - (Oct 6 2007)

[TLW]

LIVERPOOL U18 2 Blackburn U18 0

Report by Pete Schulz at the Academy

Scorer(s) - Astrit Ajdarevic, Nathan Eccleston Half Time - 2-0 Venue - Liverpool Academy, Kirkby Date - Sat 6 Oct 2007 Star Man - Astrit Ajdarevic

 

 

 

 

 

 

Promising Swedish playmaker Astrit Ajdarevic’s stunning 25 yard effort and man of the match performance set up a comfortable 2-0 win for the U18s at the Academy on Saturday morning. But the game will also be remembered for the red card correctly shown to German forward Marvin Pourie in the second half.

Hughie McAuley had been given permission to include promising left back Robbie Threlfall, and once again the double FA Youth Cup winner was rock solid at the back. He is currently not getting a game with Gary Ablett’s reserve side, so perhaps he should look for a temporary move away from the club to gain experience. He's far too good to not play and youth level will no longer present a real challenge for the 18 year-old.

The first half kicked off in glorious sunshine in Kirkby. A more certain sign that global warming is upon us you will never see. Normally, to watch these games you must literally walk through both wind and rain.

The visitors from Blackburn looked composed in the opening stages, but soon the young reds settled down and assumed control of the game. As pressure built on the Blackburn goal, Sean Highdale’s low effort was palmed wide by Arestidou in the visiting goal. The resulting corner was met by David Amoo, today operating from the right wing, but he saw his header crash off the crossbar and onto the line before it was cleared. I couldn’t see whether it was over or not, but the reds didn’t protest.

They weren’t to wait long for the opening goal, however, because only two minutes later, the ball fell to Ajdarevic 25 yards from goal. He let it bounce once while he set himself and then drove in an unstoppable shot which flew into the bottom of the Blackburn goal. His first goal for the club since arriving in January was a truly magnificent effort and well worth the long wait.

The goal gave Liverpool even more control and chances fell to David Amoo, after a good flick from Marvin Pourie, Astrit Ajdarevic from a freekick before Pourie put the ball wide from strike partner Nathan Eccleston’s good low centre.

The German missed again when Ajdarevic played him in with only the keeper to beat. But his left foot effort was tame. It didn’t seem to put the forward off though and shortly afterwards he returned the favour but Eccleston was tackled just as he was shaping to shoot.

Blackburn hadn’t threatened Dean Bouzanis’s goal at all, but when they did, he was on hand to palm a curling shot from Aaron Doran onto the far post and away to safety. But that was the last time Blackburn could feel they were in the game. A minute before the break, David Amoo collected the ball on the right inside his own half and sprinted past his full back with the ball. He played it in low and hard for Eccleston to bundle over the line from close range. Game over.

In the second half the reds created more openings and Highdale had a weak effort saved before Eccleston robbed the goalkeeper in possession before he was brought down. It looked a penalty to me, but the keeper simply called for Eccleston to stop acting like a big girl and get up.

Blackburn were still not really in it, and when Marvin Pourie’s marker succeeded in winding up the forward by twisting the German’s nipple, the youngster snapped and planted an elbow in the chest of the Blackburn player right in front of the linesman.

Unsurprisingly, the official failed to spot the initial provocation. Marvin Pourie could have no complaints about the red card, however. Still, his team mates were still in the driving seat and Eccleston, now up front on his own and recapturing some of last season’s brilliant form, threatened on several occasions.

Blackburn’s only chance of the half fell to tall forward Marcus Marshall five minutes from time, but his header was wide of the Liverpool goal. After this, the reds dropped deeper, but there was still time for young substitute Adam Wilson making his debut at U18 level on the left wing to smash a curling effort from the edge of the box onto the crossbar.


Team: Bouzanis; Irwin, Kelly, Kennedy, Threlfall; Amoo, Highdale, Ajdarevic, Kacaniklic (Wilson 83); Pourie, Eccleston: