U23 Report: Saints 2-4 Liverpool

An action-packed 90 minutes, with three goals in each half, produced plenty of entertainment at Staplewood Campus, but unfortunately for Radhi Jaïdi’s side wasn’t able to yield a share of the points.

The Reds had plenty of talent on show, not least forward trio Rhian Brewster, Curtis Jones and summer signing Harvey Elliot, with the former two both on the scoresheet in the first-half.

Saints’ Dan N’Lundulu was also among the goals once again, netting his third of the season, but last year’s Premier League 2 runners-up came out on top on the night, moving them off the bottom of the Division One table.

Brewster had the visitors ahead with a smart low finish in the 12th minute, after good work down the left by Curtis Jones, before Will Smallbone drew Saints level a mere two minutes later.

The midfielder was found on the edge of the area by Benni Smales-Braithwaite, after tireless work from Jake Vokins, and side-footed his shot accurately inside the near post.

Jones, having created the first, then got himself on the scoresheet, latching onto Pedro Chirivella’s incisive through ball and, aware of an onrushing Harry Lewis, had the foresight to finish below him.

Chirivella netted Liverpool’s third shortly after the restart, smashing home from a corner after Callum Slattery had turned the ball off the line, before in-form N’Lundulu snatched another goal back for the hosts.

Vokins had raced forward down the left, in characteristic fashion, and found the striker lurking in space on the six yard line with a low cross, which N’Lundulu gladly turned home with a first-time finish.

Louie Longstaff’s deflected effort sealed the points for Liverpool seven minutes from time, beating Lewis from a tight angle, with Elliot the architect. 

Head to Head Stats

• Possession (%)
  48

  52
• Shots
  10

  19
• Shots on target
  2

  9
• Corners
  3

  8
• Passes Complete
  309

  347