Liverpool 3 Sunderland 0 (Oct 24 2007)

[TLW]

LIVERPOOL U18 3 Sunderland U18 0

Report by Pete Schulz at the Academy

Scorer(s) - David Amoo (2), Nathan Eccleston Half Time - 1-0 Venue - Liverpool Academy, Kirkby Date - Wed 24 Oct 2007 Star Man - Dean Bouzanis

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liverpool’s young strikers David Amoo and Nathan Eccleston added more goals to their impressive tallies as the U18s sent Sunderland home from the Academy with a 3-0 defeat on Wednesday afternoon.

David Amoo scored two and Nathan Eccleston added a third but in truth Sunderland could count themselves very unlucky to leave with nothing. The visitors, watched at first hand by first team manager Roy Keane, created chances throughout the game but excellent goalkeeping from Australian keeper Dean Bouzanis kept the ball out of the reds net.

Hughie McAuley handed a debut to two of the new Spaniards, centre back Daniel Ayala and left winger Gerardo Bruna and both 16-year-olds acquitted themselves well in their first outing. The third Spaniard to arrive recently, Dani Pacheco, is expected to figure for the reserves on Thursday night.

Sunderland started in the ascendancy but after ten minutes found themselves a goal down as David Amoo ran onto a through ball on the right and finished low inside the far post. The visitors still looked the better side as the reds midfield including Astrit Ajdarevic and Sean Highdale were struggling to pick up their movement.

Poor finishing, however, meant that Dean Bouzanis was relatively untroubled for much of the first half. The reds created a couple of half chances for Amoo and Bruna but they fared no better in front of goal than their visitors.

Hughie McAuley made one change at half time bringing on Alexander Kaciniklic for Ryan Crowther at right wing. But things continued as they had in the first half with Sunderland pressing and Liverpool scoring.

Sunderland thought they’d scored on 51 minutes but the goalbound cross/shot from the right was saved well on the line by Bouzanis.

Liverpool doubled the lead on 54 minutes after a quick counterattacking move which saw Eccleston play the ball through for his partner Amoo. The pacey striker took on his marker on the outside left and stabbed the ball low past the onrushing goalkeeper and into the far corner.

And just three minutes later they put the game beyond Sunderland. Dean Bouzanis launched a long freekick forward after a Sunderland forward had been caught offside. It was headed on by Amoo for Eccleston who took it on the chest and powered it past the keeper.

The two look to have struck up a decent partnership in Marvin Pourie’s absence through suspension. Eccleston is all about skill and technique and Amoo is a bustling forward with lightning pace. The two go together very well.

It was a blow for Sunderland who were still creating chances, several of which forced Bouzanis into making good saves. On one occasion the Australian blocked well when a forward found himself in a one on one situation and the follow-up was blocked by Ayala.

Liverpool then took off Ajdarevic and Bruna and replaced them with Mattone Awang and highly rated debutant, first year U16s forward Adam Pepper who arrived from Everton last year. Both the Swede and the Spaniard were carrying slight knocks.

The visitors were piling men forward but just couldn’t find a way past Bouzanis who was again helped out by more last ditch defending by Ayala and the reds held on for a 3-0 win. The scoreline flattered the home side as on another day, Sunderland could well have left with one, if not all the points.

Liverpool U18s: Bouzanis; Irwin, Kennedy, Ayala, O’Connor; Crowther (Kacaniklic), Ajdarevic (Awang), Highdale, Bruna (Pepper); Eccleston, Amoo.