The Liverpool under-18s warmed up for their FA Youth Cup clash against Chelsea with a high-scoring win over Middlesbrough, as Oakley Cannonier scored another brace.
Middlesbrough U18s 2-6 Liverpool U18s
U18 Premier League, Rockliffe Park
January 22, 2022
Goals: Finch 2′, Simpson 53′; Jonas 9′, Myers OG 13′, Cannonier 22′ 40′, Chambers pen 56′, Davidson 89′
After a 4-1 thrashing of Burnley in midweek, in which Mateusz Musialowski starred, the U18s were back in league action on Saturday with a more familiar side restored.
Marc Bridge-Wilkinson made three changes from that cup win, with Lee Jonas and Harvey Blair both making their first starts back from injury – the centre-back having missed the last four-and-a-half months.
Liverpool were dealt an early blow at Rockliffe Park as Sonny Finch put Middlesbrough 1-0 up in only the second minute, but it was Jonas who equalised minutes later.
An own goal from Alfie Myers was then followed by two from Cannonier, as the young Reds took a 4-1 lead heading into half-time.
Middlesbrough grabbed one back after the break through Nathan Simpson, only for Luke Chambers to convert from the spot and substitute Josh Davidson to add the gloss to a 6-2 victory late on.
It was a hugely impressive win for Liverpool in a fixture that ended in a 4-3 loss at Kirkby earlier in the campaign, with this the fourth time Bridge-Wilkinson’s side have netted five or more goals in a game this season.
For Cannonier, a first-half double took his season’s goal tally to 23, including 17 in 13 outings in the league – Saturday brought his fourth brace in that run, having also scored a hat-trick against Man United back in August.
The focus now turns back to the FA Youth Cup, with the visit of Chelsea to come on Saturday evening, a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
Liverpool U18s: Davies; Mabaya, Miles, Jonas (Pilling 63′), Chambers; Bajcetic, Frauendorf (Figueroa 90′), McConnell; Blair (Davidson 63′), Clark, Cannonier
Subs not used: Hewitson, Lucky
Next match: Chelsea (H) – FA Youth Cup – Saturday, January 29, 5.30pm (GMT)
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