Liverpool Youth 6-0 United Youth

The big prize

With midfielder James Earl and goalkeeper Adam Bradley having earlier passed fitness tests it was an almost full-strength Carlisle side that ran down the famous Anfield tunnel, centre-half Matty Bell being the only player to miss out with a knee injury.

In the early stages the Cumbrians didn’t look at all overawed as they attempted to close down play all over the field. It was always the home side though who had that extra bit of class, especially in the final third, but the lads can be rightly proud in having reached the last eight of the competition in the first place.

The Reds started with a patient passing game as they moved the ball sideways across their back line with relative ease, although, compared to the blood and thunder of league two football, it did prove to be a little dull at times. They were soon turning their far superior possession into chances however and went close for the first time of many in the second minute. Craig Lindfield and the extremely impressive Adam Hammill combined well on the left before winger Hammill sent in a cross which, after a bit of headed pinball, found it’s way out to Charlie Barnett in the right-hand channel. Barnett sending his 15-yard drive flying into Bradley’s side-netting.

Five minutes later centre-half Jack Hobbs played a nice ball into the feet of 16-year old Northern Ireland schoolboy international and midfield dynamo Ben Parsonage 25 yards from goal. Parsonage turned Earl cleverly but his right-footed effort was pulled well wide of the United near-post.

Perhaps Carlisle’s best chance of the game came in the 13^th minute from, as to be expected, a set-piece. Earl sent in a corner to the far-post which Stephen Hindmarch headed back into the mix where Kirkup got up well to head on goal six yards out. Just as his effort was being cleared away from behind the line though, by right-back Stephen Darby, referee Neil Swarbrick was blowing his whistle for what looked like a soft foul on Reds goalkeeper David Roberts.

Three minutes on and the Blues were having their only real spell of pressure in the game. Earl sent a trademark corner under the ‘Pool bar which Roberts punched away to the edge of box, Vipond took the ball down on his chest and attempted a first-time volley but he could only slice it well wide of the far-post.

Shortly afterwards it was all the home side again as their patient passing game often had the Blues chasing shadows all over the pitch, credit to the United youngsters though, they never gave up throughout the 90 minutes. Ex-Hull City youth Paul Anderson tried a snapshot from 25 yards out which went over but it only took until the 22^nd minute for the Reds to make the breakthrough.

Some great work by Parsonage on the edge of the Carlisle box saw him make enough space to get beyond Carlisle left-back Matthew Blake and lay a sweet pass into the feet of Lindfield. The Reds striker took a quick touch before pulling the trigger from 15 yards out in the right-side of the box, sending a pearler across Bradley and into the far top corner to give ‘Pool the lead.

From that moment on the home side purred into top gear and it only looked like a matter of damage limitation for the Blues, although Liverpool certainly had the run of the ball on the night as well. In the 27^th minute there was another drive raining in from distance, this time from Barnett as pulled his effort wide of the near-post. Barnett made no mistake four minutes later though, when, following a lay-off from Hammill, he hammered an unstoppable drive past Bradley with his right-foot that flew into the bottom corner.

The Reds were keen to take pot-shots from any angle and in the 34^th minute Hammill shot weakly straight at Bradley from outside the United box. Worse was quickly to follow sixty seconds later when the home side started to threaten a real cricket score when they went 3-0 up with only 35 minutes on the clock. It was a poor goal defensively from the Blues though as Lindfield was allowed, unmarked, to head down and into the net from close-range following a Barnett free-kick in from the left, Earl having brought down ‘Pool left-back Robbie Threlfall.

It was all Liverpool now and overworked Carlisle keeper Bradley was called into action four more times before the break. In the 40^th minute Threlfall played in Lindfield, only for Kirkup to fell the rangy striker in the middle of the United ‘D’. It was hearts in the mouths time for the Blue Army when Lindfield’s free-kick flew over the wall, fortunately for the Blues though it skimmed the top of the net as it went inches over. Two minutes later it was the pacey Hammill who was again a source of danger as he cut in from the left and unleashed a sweet strike with his right-foot which Bradley did well to push to round the post.

Shortly afterwards the ever-dangerous Hammill picked up a loose Blake clearance before laying the ball off to Parsonage, the youngster could only fire high, wide and not very handsome from 25 yards out though. It was all hands to the pumps for the Blues now as they tried to cling on to just a 3-0 deficit at half-time. Just before the whistle came it nearly was a four goal advantage for the home side however as Blake brought down Darby on the right-wing, the free-kick in by Barnett eventually being hacked away under pressure by Kirkup.

After a 45 minutes like that youth team boss Billy Barr decided that if his charges were going to down they would go down all guns blazing. Barr replacing Ashley Combe with Mike Stewardson and Gary Baker with Andy Hardman as United went from a defensive midfield to a much more attacking middle four. It seemed to put the Reds a little bit off their guard initially as three minutes in Vipond set up Earl who blazed well over from 22 yards out.

It didn’t take long for the Reds to once again get the upper hand though and two minutes later Carlisle backed off far too much and allowed Hammill free rein to get a powerful drive in from 20 yards out which Bradley managed to parry away from danger at full stretch. That escape was short-lived though as shortly afterwards the home side did make their lead 4-0.

Kirkup clipped the heels of Anderson 25 yards out on the United right and was harshly booked for the challenge. Carlisle’s skipper was soon back in the thick of the action though when he headed the resultant Barnett free-kick away for a corner. Going back to the home side getting the run of the ball, well, that was certainly the case here as Barnett hit a dreadful flag-kick in two inches off the ground which Anderson fresh-air kicked at as it flew past him at the near-post. Unluckily for the Blues the ball went straight to the feet of Lindfield who was left with the simple task of slotting the ball home from close range to crush any faint hopes of a famous Cumbrian comeback.

In the 56^th minute Anderson cut in with pace from the right-wing but his low drive from range was well held at his near-post by Bradley. Two minutes later the Blues had, pretty much, their only chance of the half as giant Ghanian centre-half Godwin Antwi brought down Hindmarch on the right-angle of the box. Earl had two set-piece opportunities as his free-kick in was deflected for a corner, then has flag-kick was headed narrowly over at the near-post by Carlisle centre-half Terry Stewart.

Bang on the hour-mark midfielder Richie Hoban came on in a direct swap for Earl who looked to be tiring and feeling the effects of a jarred knee injury, sustained in training. Hoban was soon getting in the play, although his attempted shot from a Blake long throw was completely mishit, Kirkup sending his right-footed half-volley on the turn from the loose ball wide of the ‘Pool far-post.

Shortly afterwards came a sad moment as Hammill went down like a ton of bricks in the United box as Kirkup and Stewart challenged him for the ball, it’s disappointing to see youngsters diving for penalties at the age of 18, although it comes as no surprise.

After 69 minutes Reds midfielder Ryan Flynn should have done better when he jumped too early to send a firm header from a Barnett corner just over the Cumbrians crossbar, that being the signal for Paul Barratt to come on in place of Anderson for Liverpool. Sixty seconds later Hindmarch was brought down by Hobbs on the left but Vipond’s free-kick in was too strong and sailed over the head of Kirkup as he tried to get on the end of it at the ‘Pool far-post.

In the 72^nd minute Lindfield made good room for himself as he turned Kirkup on the right-angle of the Carlisle box, the striker tried a right-footed curler from there but it lacked pace and Bradley was able to get down quickly and grab it easily. Three minutes later it wasn’t the same for the United keeper though as he was beaten by an effort that has every chance of being the goal of the season in the FA Youth Cup this year.

There seemed little on when Hardman gave the ball away to Hammill in a central area just inside the Blues half. The impressive Reds youngster didn’t have that opinion however as he sent an exquisite first-time lob dipping over the head of the rapidly back-pedalling Bradley and into the roof of the Cumbrians net from fully 50 yards out. There really isn’t much you can do to defend goals like that.

In the 78^th minute Parsonage somehow managed to escape a booking from referee Neil Swarbrick when, seconds after already being warned about his behaviour, he went through the back of Stewart only to receive another warning. In that case, quite what the point was of warning him in the first place seems more than open to question.

That became even more evident a minute later when Vipond did go in the book, albeit deservedly, for a late challenge on Hammill on the United right. As Hammill was being treated by the ‘Pool physiotherapist Antwi left the fray to be substituted for fellow centre-half Jordan Holmes. Three minutes later, as the game began to really wind down, the home side made another change as they brought on striker Michael Nardiello for hat-trick hero Lindfield.

It certainly took Nardiello very little time to make his mark on the game as he made the scoreline a slightly unfair 6-0 to the Merseyside giants, especially after Hoban had seemingly been fouled in the build up to the goal. In a block tackle with Flynn, where the Reds youngster seemed to go in over the top, the ball ran straight through to Nardiello down the ‘Pool left channel. It was a good finish from Nardiello however as he turned Kirkup one way then the other before firing home on his left foot across Bradley and into the far corner of the Carlisle net from 12 yards out.

A seventh goal for the home side would have been extremely harsh on a Carlisle side whose heads never dropped but it nearly came in injury time at the end of the game. Barnett sent Nardiello clear straight through the heart of the Carlisle defence but the England under-17 international could only push his side-footed effort past Bradley but also inches past the United post.

The final whistle went soon afterwards on a night that fans and players alike will remember for a long time. Albeit in a youth team game, the sight of a 1000 strong Blue Army out-singing the 1920 home supporters on the Anfield Kop was a great moment and one the youth team lads can be proud of having the chance to give us.