ACADEMY NEWS

Under-18s Beaten In Mini-Derby

Everton Under-18s suffered a 4-0 Merseyside derby defeat at Liverpool FC Academy on Saturday morning.

Liverpool took a 21st-minute lead through James McConnell, before second-half strikes from Oakley Cannonier, Bobby Clark and Stefan Bajcetic took the game away from the Blues.

Everton goalkeeper Zan-Luk Leban was first called into action on 16 minutes after a powerful drive from Melkamu Frauendorf – the Blues keeper showing impressive reflexes to keep the effort out. 

Liverpool, however, took the lead just five minutes later, with Slovenian youth international Leban rendered powerless by a scorching McConnell strike from outside the box.

The young Toffees almost responded instantly, as Halid Djankpata cut inside and fired just wide. 

Liverpool were millimetres away from doubling their lead minutes later, Cannonier’s header thundered off the underside of the crossbar and Everton survived.

Leban produced two more fine stops before the half-time whistle, first denying McConnell from grabbing his second, before showcasing his reflexes again to turn a sliced clearance over.

Liverpool did extend their advantage three minutes into the second half, striker Cannonier smashing low into the corner to make it 2-0.

Substitute Martin Sherif provided an impressive cameo for Everton in the second half, and almost halved the deficit in the 58th minute but his strike cannoned off the crossbar and was cleared from danger. 

Clark then put the hosts out of sight with a third goal, before Bajcetic completed the scoring in the 89th minute. 

Goalkeeper Leban was again faultless in the second half, and made another outstanding acrobatic save to deny Luke Chambers.

The result leaves Everton in fifth place in the U18 Premier League North table. Next up for the Blues is a clash with Blackburn Rovers at USM Finch Farm on Saturday 6 November.