10-man Liverpool Reserves began the 2011-12 Barclays Premier Reserve League season with a 2-1 defeat at Swansea City.
The Reds capitalized on a positive start by taking an early lead through Conor Coady at Parc-Y-Scarlets in Llanelli.
However, Scotland international Craig Beattie drew the hosts level on 31 minutes before Liverpool had Emmanuel Mendy sent off shortly after for bringing the striker down inside the box.
David Cotterill netted the resulting penalty and despite a spirited effort in the second half, the Reds were unable to muster a leveller.
Rodolfo Borrell selected a strong XI for his first league game in charge of the second string, with the likes of Coady, Raheem Sterling, Suso, Nathan Eccleston and Toni Silva all handed starting berths.
However, Swansea's line up also boasted a wealth of experience including Beattie, Cotterill, Tom Butler, Mark Gower and Andrea Orlandi.
The average age of the two sides was certainly tipped in favour of the hosts, but Liverpool's youthful exuberance saw them take a sixth-minute lead.
Krisztian Adorjan's dangerous in-swinging free-kick from the left was unwittingly flicked across the face of goal by a Swans' defender, allowing Coady to ghost into the six-yard box and tuck home.
It was just rewards for a bright start to the contest by the Reds - but Orlandi was millimetres away from drawing Swansea level with a long-range blast that clipped the roof of the net.
Liverpool's response saw Silva surge beyond Ashley Richards into the area and cut the ball back for Eccleston, who was narrowly off target, before Sterling saw an effort just clear the crossbar soon after.
Swansea had rarely troubled Tyrell Belford's goal, however they restored parity on 31 minutes.
A half-cleared corner was worked back out to Cotterill on the right. His cross was misjudged by Stephen Sama and Beattie gleefully tapped in from close quarters.
Two minutes later and on a night on which they'd started so promisingly, Liverpool were left facing an uphill task as their hopes were dealt a double blow.
Mendy's rash challenge on Beattie inside the box as the pair chased a long ball forward was punished with a penalty to the hosts and a straight red card for the Liverpool defender. Cotterill made no mistake with the resulting spot-kick.
Swansea was now firmly in the ascendancy and only a fine block by Matty McGiveron prevented Tom Butler from a clear strike on goal.
The Welsh team was dominating possession and Mark Gower's dangerous delivery into the box just before half-time was inches away from being converted by Orlandi before Daniel Alfei bulleted a header wide from a corner.
With Swansea's numerical advantage - and greater senior experience - the second half was always going to prove a difficult task for Borrell's men.
Still, to their credit, the Reds never shirked the challenge and Sterling was unlucky when his mazy run and cross just cut out before it could reach Silva in the centre.
With 20 minutes left on the clock, substitute David Amoo was sent speeding into space inside the box but the forward's low drive was turned around the post by Gerhard Tremmel.
As the game edged towards its conclusion, Sterling shaved the outside of the post with a skimming effort from the edge of the box, but it wasn't to be for Liverpool.
