Liverpool Res 3 Bury Res 1 - Friendly (Jan 16 2008)

[TLW]

LIVERPOOL RES 3 Bury Res 1

Report by Dave Usher at the Academy

Scorer(s) Ryan Flynn, Dani Pacheco, O.G. Half Time – 1-0 Venue – Liverpool Academy, Kirkby Date - Wed 16 Jan 2008 Star Man – Ryan Flynn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liverpool reserves’ ran out comfortable 3-1 winners against Bury in a specially arranged friendly game at the Academy earlier today, but the scoreline really should have been much more emphatic as the young reds’ wasted countless clear cut openings. Hughie McAuley’s lads hadn’t played since before Christmas, and this game was arranged after a league game with Blackburn was postponed earlier in the week.

The ressies face Wigan next week, and were desperately in need of some match practice ahead of that game. On this evidence, it was a good idea as their finishing especially was extremely rusty. Hopefully they will have sharpened up a bit in time for next week.

Ablett was without Sebastian Leto and Nabil El Zhar, amidst rumours that the pair are about to leave on loan to Spanish side Racing Santander. Craig Lindfield was also unavailable, as he was due to link up with Chester City on loan for the rest of the season. Another absentee was Robbie Threlfall, who has been out on loan too, but is back at Melwood with an injury. He had hoped to play in this game but is still a week or so away.

So Ablett lined up with young Australian Dean Bouzanis in goal, Stephen Darby and Emiliano Insua as full backs, and Daniel Ayala given an opportunity alongside skipper Jack Hobbs at the heart of the defence.

Ryan Flynn returned from injury to line up on the right flank, with Ray Putterill on the other side and the regular pairing of Damian Plessis and Jay Spearing in the engine room. Dani Pacheco partnered Jordy Brouwer up front.

Flynn gave the reds the perfect start after 8 minutes when he finished from close range after Hobbs had flicked on a left wing corner. Liverpool threatened to run riot early on as Putterill continually tormented the right back and delivered a series of crosses into the box. Darby and Flynn were also combining well down the other side, and plenty of balls were going into the Bury penalty area.

For all the promising build up play though, the keeper had little to do. Brouwer was anonymous, and Pacheco fared little better, although he did have one brilliant effort superbly saved by the keeper right on half time. Even the usually inspirational Spearing was quiet in the opening half, and by and large it was a fairly dull 45 minutes. Ring rust may well have had a fair bit to do with it, as in the second half Liverpool really stepped up a gear and cut through the visitors defence with virtually every attack.

The changes made by Ablett at the break were also a significant factor, most notably up front where Krisztian Nemeth replaced Brouwer and gave Bury’s defence all manner of problems with his movement and ability. Pacheco seemed to really enjoy partnering the Hungarian, and he really came to the fore after the break too.

Between them, they really should have managed five or six goals given the clear opportunities that came their way. The link up between the pair was very encouraging however, and it’s difficult to see any reason why Brouwer would keep either out of the side.

Other changes by Ablett saw San Jose replace Plessis in midfield, Huth came in for Ayala and Peter Gulacsi took over from Bouzanis in goal. Liverpool began creating chances from the very start of the second period. Spearing pushed much further forward than he had been in the first half, and Bury struggled to stem the tide.

Nemeth’s close control and ability to turn gave Bury a problem that they didn’t have in the first half, and although the Hungarian often infuriated some of his team-mates by not releasing the ball quick enough, or running away from them when they wanted to play one two’s, Bury would have been much happier had he been left on the bench.

He should have scored on 55 minutes when Spearing sent him clear on goal, but he dragged his shot across the goal and wide of the post. Considering the brilliant start he’s made to his reserve career it was surprising to see him miss the target, as virtually everything he’s hit so far has gone in.


Liverpool were really beginning to put some lovely moves together now, and two minutes later Pacheco should have scored. The move started at the back with Huth, who played the ball up to Nemeth on half way. He released Putterill down the left, and when the winger picked out Pacheco in the box, the 16 year old former Barcelona striker showed his quick feet by skipping away from his marker and firing a shot across the goal and wide.

Two minutes later Spearing and Nemeth combined well to create another chance for Pacheco, but this time his shot was saved. At this point I was struggling to keep up with my notes as every attack was resulting in an attempt at goal. A minute later the reds put together another fine move which ended with Putterill dragging a shot wide when he should have done better.

The Bury goal was leading a charmed life now, and within a minute Spearing had slipped a great ball through to Pacheco who found himself one on one with the keeper again. He delicately clipped the ball past the keeper but it rolled wide. Another great chance gone begging.

Putteril then fed Nemeth in the box, and he made space well and seemed certain to score until a defender got himself in the way to make a great block. It was difficult to believe it was still only 1-0, as Liverpool had peppered the Bury goal since the start of the 2nd half.

The second goal finally arrived midway through the half, but it needed a Bury defender to show Liverpool’s wasteful forward players how it’s done. Flynn and Darby combined well again down the right, with Darby showing great desire to get to the byline and get his cross in. Pacheco was waiting for a tap in at the near post, but a defender beat him to it and prodded theball past his keeper.

Five minutes later Spearing played in Flynn down the right, and although his cross was too deep, Pacheco didn’t give it up and retrieved it on the far touchline before dribbling back into the box and drilling the ball across the face of goal. The keeper parried it, and as the ball looped up Nemeth headed it back goalwards but couldn’t keep it down and it dropped onto the roof of the net.

Pacheco was really growing in confidence now, despite the chances he had missed. With fifteen minutes to go he produced a wonderful touch to bring the ball down and turn in one motion, and then showed good vision to play in Nemeth. The Hungarian looked like he was favourite to get there, but a combination of a defender and keeper conspired to deny him.

Two minutes later Flynn and Pacheco combined to create another chance fro Nemeth, but again he was denied by the keeper. It was becoming ridiculous now that Liverpool were only two goals up, and that neither striker had scored.

Pacheco finally put that right with five minutes to go, when Flynn did brilliantly to dribble his way into the box and square the ball across the six yard box to present the young Spaniard with a tap in. He should have added another a minute later when Nemeth’s through ball put him clear, but again he shot wide.

Bury had not offered any threat in the second half, and Gulacsi had hardly touched the ball. But when the referee awarded the visitors a dubious free-kick in stoppage time, Gulacsi was left helpless astheir centre half rose well and powered a header over him into the top corner. It was the last action of the game, as the referee blew up immediately after the restart.

Overall it was a fine display, at least the second half was anyway. Pacheco and Nemeth were wasteful, but showed great promise and look like they could be an exciting pair. Spearing was outstanding in the second half, and Putterill had some good moments too.

Star man for me though was a toss up between Flynn and Darby. I thought ‘Darbs’ had a really good game, defending well enough and constantly trying to get forward. I’m going to go with Flynn though, simply because he’s been out injured a few weeks and this was his first game back in a while. He did really well, scoring one and creating another.


Team: Bouzanis (Gulacsi); Darby, Hobbs, Ayala (Huth), Insua; Flynn, Spearing, Plessis (San Jose), Putterill; Brouwer (Nemeth), Pacheco: