Liverpool Under-18s maintained their impressive home form with a comfortable 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the FA Academy Premier League.
Hughie McAuley's team dominated for the majority of the contest against their East Midlands counterparts and deservedly claimed their second consecutive home triumph courtesy of a first-half header from Lauri Dalla Valle and a late pildriver from Astrit Adjarevic.
The Reds began the match at a hectic pace, as if determined to make ameds for last week's disappointing defeat at Coventry, and they could have opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute when an error by Forest centre back Matt Skyes gave Thomas Ince a clear sight of goal, but his stabbed effort was deflected to safety at the last second.
There was little sign of the visitors as an attacking threat and on 13 minutes a flowing one-touch move involving James Ellison, Dalla Valle and Ince resulted in the left winger slipping a delightful low cross across the face of goal, but unfortunately for Liverpool there was no one at the far post to give the move the finish it deserved.
A minute later and another chance went begging when Dalla Valle's acrobatic effort from the edge of the box flew way over the crossbar after a clever run and cross from David Amoo on the right.
Forest were in need of some respite and they nearly got it on 25 minutes when Nialle Rodney crashed home Tim Hopkinson's knock-down, only to see his celebrations cut short by the referee's assistant's flag.
That aside, it was all one way traffic in the first period and at times Liverpool's approach play was breathtaking, with Dalla Valle often instrumental with a series of deft flicks and clever touches.
The striker was enjoying an impressive afternoon and should have opened the scoring on 33 minutes when he seized on the loose ball 40 yards from goal, powered beyond two defenders before seeing his near post shot beaten away by Forest keeper Karl Darlow.
However, the Finn was not to be denied and from the resulting corner he rose majestically to bullet home a header to give the Reds a deserved interval lead.
The visitors inevitably improved in the second-half but Liverpool were still the side creating the better openings with Dalla Valle twice denied by Darlow.
Substitute Nathan Eccleston could have made the game safe 15 minutes from time but he saw his his audacious volley from the left wing crash back off the crossbar.
In truth the second 45 rarely lived up to the first in terms of the calibre of football, but the Reds were always in control and Adjarevic drilled in a magnificent late strike to ensure Hughie McAuley's side eased to their second win from three matches played this season.
Hughie McAuley's team dominated for the majority of the contest against their East Midlands counterparts and deservedly claimed their second consecutive home triumph courtesy of a first-half header from Lauri Dalla Valle and a late pildriver from Astrit Adjarevic.
The Reds began the match at a hectic pace, as if determined to make ameds for last week's disappointing defeat at Coventry, and they could have opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute when an error by Forest centre back Matt Skyes gave Thomas Ince a clear sight of goal, but his stabbed effort was deflected to safety at the last second.
There was little sign of the visitors as an attacking threat and on 13 minutes a flowing one-touch move involving James Ellison, Dalla Valle and Ince resulted in the left winger slipping a delightful low cross across the face of goal, but unfortunately for Liverpool there was no one at the far post to give the move the finish it deserved.
A minute later and another chance went begging when Dalla Valle's acrobatic effort from the edge of the box flew way over the crossbar after a clever run and cross from David Amoo on the right.
Forest were in need of some respite and they nearly got it on 25 minutes when Nialle Rodney crashed home Tim Hopkinson's knock-down, only to see his celebrations cut short by the referee's assistant's flag.
That aside, it was all one way traffic in the first period and at times Liverpool's approach play was breathtaking, with Dalla Valle often instrumental with a series of deft flicks and clever touches.
The striker was enjoying an impressive afternoon and should have opened the scoring on 33 minutes when he seized on the loose ball 40 yards from goal, powered beyond two defenders before seeing his near post shot beaten away by Forest keeper Karl Darlow.
However, the Finn was not to be denied and from the resulting corner he rose majestically to bullet home a header to give the Reds a deserved interval lead.
The visitors inevitably improved in the second-half but Liverpool were still the side creating the better openings with Dalla Valle twice denied by Darlow.
Substitute Nathan Eccleston could have made the game safe 15 minutes from time but he saw his his audacious volley from the left wing crash back off the crossbar.
In truth the second 45 rarely lived up to the first in terms of the calibre of football, but the Reds were always in control and Adjarevic drilled in a magnificent late strike to ensure Hughie McAuley's side eased to their second win from three matches played this season.
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