Liverpool U18s 4-2 Fulham U18s: Match Report & Simon Wiles | OneFootball

Liverpool Under-18s came through a six-goal thriller on Saturday afternoon as they secured a 4-2 victory over Burnley Under-18s at the AXA Academy in Kirkby.

The young Reds were pegged back to 2-2 after taking a two-nil lead through Joseph Dixon, and Charlie Huth gave Simon Wiles’ side the early ascendancy. 

However, the influential AJ Yeguo and Erik Farkas struck in the second half to ensure the Reds finished the afternoon with a comfortable two-goal cushion.

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Liverpool made a positive start and were rewarded as Dixon found space in the area to touch and volley home a Farkas corner for the breakthrough, giving the hosts an early platform to build from.

Huth doubled Liverpool’s advantage, powerfully finishing a well-worked move to give the home side an apparent cushion midway through the opening 45 minutes. 

Burnley continued to pose a threat and found a response before bringing the score back to 2-2 and setting up a tense final period of the first half, one in which the Reds were indebted to Matty Wright to when it ended level.

Liverpool started the second half well and searched for a goal to restore the lead; that moment arrived through a moment of brilliance from Yeguo, cutting inside to fire a rocket into the top corner. 

Farkas then added an equally impressive fourth to put the result beyond doubt and complete an excellent second-half response from the young Reds.

After being pegged back before the interval, Liverpool showed the character required to regain control of the contest after half-time.

Dixon, Huth, Yeguo and Farkas provided the goals as Liverpool Under-18s eventually ran out 4-2 winners, making it a productive afternoon for the young Reds.

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Speaking after the match, boss Wiles was understandably happy with what he saw…

On the performance: “I was pleased with the performance. The things that we’ve been working on, especially in the first half, I thought we started really bright. Asked a lot of questions at the back line. From a momentum point of view, we kept taking corner after corner after corner. We’ve not really seen a great deal of that in terms of our attacking play, whether it’s chances or whether it is just keeping it in the final third. So, I thought we had quite a lot of the ascendancy in the first half. I thought the goals, obviously, I’m delighted for Joe Dixon with his first goal and obviously his first half in great teams. I thought the break for Charlie Huth’s goal in the first half was really good. I thought the lads made some really good decisions on a quick attack, but I was just disappointed with the goals that we’ve conceded. So, yeah, we spoke about that at half-time, and then in the second half, I was delighted with the way they played. I thought, both in possession and out of possession, I thought they were fantastic.”

On Farkas and AJ: “He is a very intelligent footballer, and he’s got the technical capabilities to back that up. And he’s got a good relationship with AJ as well on the side. So, we know that when we’re working the switch as a play, and we get those plays into them areas and into their pockets or out wide, we know the combinations that they’ve got to ask questions at the back line. I thought they did that numerous times today. And it’s really nice to start to see the last action being finished off as well. So, when they are getting down the sides, crosses are coming into the box, plays are running in for opportunities on goal. But, yeah, as you say, individual brilliance from AJ for his goal, which I know he was disappointed at half-time because of the free kick. Obviously, he got caught on the ball and gave a free kick away, which brought them back into the game. So, for his learning and for his development from a mental point of view, it was a really important one for him to show that he can help the lads get back into the game in the second half. I thought he did. And Eric’s goal, again, that’s just so forward-thinking, playing around the corner and getting there. It’s a great pass from Zach as well. Again, intelligence on the top line, gets them moments, and his finish is brilliant with his left foot. So, yeah, really, really delighted. Lots to work on. Lots to move forward with.”

On Haydn Murray-Holme: “We know he has got the technical capabilities and he’s got his passing distribution, which is an asset of his. So, for us, for him, it’s just understanding the when and where to keep moving the ball and the timing of the game, where there might be a little bit of a momentum swing, where we just need to get a little bit more control. And I thought he dictated a lot of the play today. I thought he had a really positive performance. And when he’s connecting and he’s getting the ball switched out of play, just to stay involved in it, but then making sure that he’s always in the middle of the pitch. So, we’ve always got the little bounce. And I thought he did really well today, and I thought he had a massive influence in the game.”

On Finn Inlgethorpe: “Nothing serious. Just a niggle. Hopefully, he won’t be too far away, and we can obviously get him back in competing for the number nine jersey, which is fantastic. So, yeah, we’ve still got the strength and depth to come back into it. So, we’re just really delighted that we’re seeing what we’re working on come to fruition like that. And like you say, when the other players come back in, it’s going to make it even more competitive.”

On the style filtering down: “Well, I think one of the big things is from the messages from up in the first team is the intensity and the work rate that is demanded. And we know we speak about it all the time. But I thought today, I thought that the lads’ output was fantastic. And I think that’s where, in the second half, I think, when they were still trying to play. And they caused us some problems, by the way, in the first half. I thought they played some really nice patterns. But I thought that once we got a little bit more aggressive and we got a little bit closer to them, and we started intercepting more and started playing through the spaces that they’ve left, I thought we were really clinical with that. But it does come from the top and bottom of how aggressive we are out of possession. What I was really pleased about as well was on Wednesday, some of the lads got to experience that game against Atletico Madrid where the intensity was through the roof. So, for the lads to understand why we go off in the way that we do, it’s for moments like that. So, the big message for us today was like, you’ve felt it, you’ve seen it, what it’s like at the next level. Go and bring it to our level today. And I thought they did that. I thought they did. So, yeah, definitely from an out-of-possession point of view, the intensity we work at, how aggressive we are, that is something that we speak about regularly because obviously that’s the demand.”