A goalkeeping masterclass from Luke Hewitson wasn’t enough to earn Liverpool a share of the spoils as the young Reds suffered a narrow Merseyside derby defeat to Everton at Finch Farm.
Goals from Martin Sherif and Coby Ebere were the difference as the Blues took advantage of Liverpool defensive errors to clinch victory. But in truth, it could have been a lot more were it not for Hewitson in the Reds net.
Kyle Kelly would score a late consolation for Liverpool, while Francis Gyimah was denied by the post and Terence Miles had a header cleared off the line, but they were rare chances as Everton ran out deserved 2-1 winners.
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After both sides exchanged half-chances, Hewitson was called into action for the first time after just 10 minutes when he was forced to tip Sam Coughlan’s dipping strike from the edge of the box over the bar. It would be the start of a busy half for the shot-stopper as he got down low to tip Ebere’s fierce strike behind at his near post soon after, before Jack Patterson shot tamely at him from the edge of the box.
Liverpool would send searching balls over the top towards Trent Kone-Doherty and Jayden Danns, only to see such passes repeatedly cut out as they struggled to get the in-form winger on the ball in the first half.
Sherif would turn well in the box to test Hewitson once again, only for the goalkeeper to tip his driven strike behind. Meanwhile, the physical Ebere, who was causing the Reds constant problems running down the left, would get in behind the defence only to shoot straight at the goalkeeper after cutting inside.
Ranel Young was causing Everton problems of their own at the other end as he kept taking on defender Harry Wright, and nearly helped created an opener as he beat three men before playing in Josh Davidson down the right, only for Kone-Doherty to head his lofted cross towards the far post off-target.
The Reds would then take advantage of a defensive error to play in Danns, only for his strike from the edge of the box to be deflected wide with goalkeeper Dylan Graham left scrambling.
Meanwhile, the Blues goalkeeper would have Coughlan to thank for denying Liverpool an opener as he put in a great last-gasp block to deny Tommy Pilling a tap-in after Graham had parried the ball straight to the midfielder. From the resulting corner, Terence Miles would send a tame far post header harmlessly wide.
Everton would take the lead late in the half as Jacob Beaumont-Clark intercepted a wayward Reds pass across the defence before playing in Sherif, with the striker holding off Kerron Samuels challenge before slotting past Hewitson.
Yet Everton were unable to find a way past the goalkeeper again despite peppering his goal with shots for the remainder of the half, with Ebere shooting straight at him after cutting inside.
Beaumont-Clark thought he had doubled the Blues lead moments later after connecting with Ebere’s low cross at the far post, only for Hewitson to dive full-stretch across goal to tip the strike behind and deny a certain goal.
Coughlan would drag two strikes behind before Hewitson was called into action one more, denying Callum Bates after he pounced on a defensive error and turned a defender in the box, only to see his effort tipped away.
Hewitson would start the second half as he finished the first as he dived across goal to deny Everton a second once more, this time keeping Kerron Samuels from scoring an own goal after he inadvertently diverted Ebere’s cross goalwards.
Liverpool would re-group, however, as they were in search of an equaliser with Francis Gyimah bending an effort into the side-netting following a quickly-taken corner. The left-back was then left cursing the woodwork after his long-range strike went behind off the post.
Kone-Doherty would then be denied at the near post after finding space for a shooting opportunity in the box, only to be denied by Dylan Graham. From the resulting corner, captain Terence Miles would see his header cleared off the line by substitute Charlie Wilson.
But as Liverpool pushed for an equaliser, they found themselves caught out at the back as Ebere twisted and turned past a defender in the box before thundering past Hewitson at the near post.
Substitute Elijah Gift would sidefoot wide for the young Reds as they pushed for a consolation before Kelly halved the deficit, volleying home acrobatically from a corner. But there would be no time for them to push for an equaliser as they fell to a disappointing derby defeat.
Liverpool XI: Hewitson; Davidson, Miles, Samuels, Gyimah; Laffey (Pennington), Pilling, Kelly; Young, Danns, Kone-Doherty (Gift).
Unused subs: Giblin, Morana, Pitt.
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