Liverpool U18s secured their first win of the FA Premier Academy League season courtesy of a 3-0 victory over Bristol City on Saturday afternoon.
Rodolfo Borrell's side followed up their hard-earned point in the opening day draw at Aston Villa with an assured display and deservedly took the spoils through goals from Stephen Sama, Krisztian Adorjan and substitute Tom Walsh.
The Reds looked keen to make their mark on the first home match of the new campaign from the off and could have had a flying start when Conor Coady saw his goalbound header deflected wide after just four minutes.
It was enough to whet the hosts' appetite for the contest and six minutes later Toni Silva gave a cameo of his exhilarating pace when he burst into the penalty area, only to be denied by a last-ditch tackle.
The visitors had rarely moved beyond the halfway line but should have stolen ahead soon after when Scott Wilson miscued from six yards after a great delivery into the box had found him unmarked.
It was a miss they would soon be ruing as Liverpool pushed forward and struck the opener on 19 minutes.
A right-wing corner from Krisztian Adorjan was arrowed into the area and when 'keeper Lewis Carey completely missed his punch Sama was on hand to head into an empty net.
It was a goal that gave Borrell's side the freedom to start expressing themselves and after Michael Ngoo flashed a long range shot just past Carey's far post, Brad Smith burst onto a neat cushioned header from Karl Clair and drilled over the top.
The visitors will have counted themselves lucky to have been just the one goal behind at the interval but responded with a strong spell of pressure just after the restart.
Bobby Medjedoub came within a whisker of turning home a dangerous cross From Wilson before Tom Andrews smashed a free-kick over the top from a good position.
The Reds were struggling to reassert their authority but any anxiety they may have felt was soon quashed when Adorjan collected a pass from the left and fizzed home a superb left-foot strike form the edge of the box.
It seemed to deflate City and Silva should have done better on the hour mark when he failed to convert after great play by Adorjan and Craig Roddan.
At this point a third always looked likely and 10 minutes from time Walsh put the seal on victory with a fine finish.
Liverpool U18s: Belford, Poor, Smith, Sama, McGiveron, Coady, Silva, Roddan (Aylmer 84), Ngoo, Adorjan (Sumner 79), Clair (Walsh 53). Unused Subs: Wearing, Sumner, Mukendi.
Rodolfo Borrell's side followed up their hard-earned point in the opening day draw at Aston Villa with an assured display and deservedly took the spoils through goals from Stephen Sama, Krisztian Adorjan and substitute Tom Walsh.
The Reds looked keen to make their mark on the first home match of the new campaign from the off and could have had a flying start when Conor Coady saw his goalbound header deflected wide after just four minutes.
It was enough to whet the hosts' appetite for the contest and six minutes later Toni Silva gave a cameo of his exhilarating pace when he burst into the penalty area, only to be denied by a last-ditch tackle.
The visitors had rarely moved beyond the halfway line but should have stolen ahead soon after when Scott Wilson miscued from six yards after a great delivery into the box had found him unmarked.
It was a miss they would soon be ruing as Liverpool pushed forward and struck the opener on 19 minutes.
A right-wing corner from Krisztian Adorjan was arrowed into the area and when 'keeper Lewis Carey completely missed his punch Sama was on hand to head into an empty net.
It was a goal that gave Borrell's side the freedom to start expressing themselves and after Michael Ngoo flashed a long range shot just past Carey's far post, Brad Smith burst onto a neat cushioned header from Karl Clair and drilled over the top.
The visitors will have counted themselves lucky to have been just the one goal behind at the interval but responded with a strong spell of pressure just after the restart.
Bobby Medjedoub came within a whisker of turning home a dangerous cross From Wilson before Tom Andrews smashed a free-kick over the top from a good position.
The Reds were struggling to reassert their authority but any anxiety they may have felt was soon quashed when Adorjan collected a pass from the left and fizzed home a superb left-foot strike form the edge of the box.
It seemed to deflate City and Silva should have done better on the hour mark when he failed to convert after great play by Adorjan and Craig Roddan.
At this point a third always looked likely and 10 minutes from time Walsh put the seal on victory with a fine finish.
Liverpool U18s: Belford, Poor, Smith, Sama, McGiveron, Coady, Silva, Roddan (Aylmer 84), Ngoo, Adorjan (Sumner 79), Clair (Walsh 53). Unused Subs: Wearing, Sumner, Mukendi.
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