Liverpool Under-21s were left cursing a controversial red card as they fell to a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in their first PL2 game since the World Cup break.
With first team manager Jurgen Klopp watching on at the Academy, the young Reds named a strong side featuring the likes of Curtis Jones and Calvin Ramsay. But Liverpool ultimately faced an uphill battle after the Scotland international was sent off midway through the half, with Jamie Donley opening the scoring just before the break.
The Reds would twice be denied by the woodwork following the break, only for a late Malachi Fagan-Walcott header to clinch victory for the visitors despite Liverpool’s best efforts.
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Barry Lewtas’ side started well and had their first shot in anger in the opening minutes following good work from Doak on the right. Playing the ball back to captain Dominic Corness on the edge of the box, the midfielder’s low effort on goal was kept out by goalkeeper Alfie Whiteman.
Jones was heavily involved as the Reds looked to keep hold of the ball, with the midfielder playing in Melkamu Frauendorf with a smart backheel only for his cross to be cleared, before flicking on Doak’s cutback to Jarell Quansah after clever footwork in the box. Alas, the defender could not connect properly on the stretch with his shot as Whiteman gathered the ball.
Doak was the creator once again soon after with another low cross from the right, only for Whiteman to keep out Fraunendorf’s flicked finish at the near post. But while it had been one-way traffic in the Reds’ favour during the opening quarter, the red card ultimately turned the tide.
With Tottenham looking to hit Liverpool on the counter, Romaine Mundle got in behind the defence and looked to sprint away from Ramsay only to lose his footing and go to ground. While the Reds bench believed the forward tripped over his own feet, with replays supporting such an opinion, referee Daniel Middleton ruled the defender had made contact and, as the last man, sent him off for a professional foul.
Mundle sent the resulting free-kick high and wide, before bending a later effort wide of goal as Spurs quickly made their man advantage count by controlling possession.
LIverpool would then have Harvey Davies to thank for not falling behind as the goalkeeper made a superb double-save to keep out Alfie Devine’s volley, and tip behind Harvey White’s follow-up. Meanwhile, he was called into action again from the resulting corner as he got down low to save at his near post, before diving at Donley’s feet.
However, Spurs would take the lead on the stroke of half-time as Donley reacted quickest to a header back into the box, slotting under Davies after finding himself one-on-one.
Liverpool would have one last chance before the break, only for Corness to not put enough on his through-ball to Frauendorf as the forward threatened to get in one-on-one. Instead forced to lay it off to Doak, the winger saw his shot across goal blocked.
Yet the interval came at a good time for Liverpool as it enabled them to re-group, even though both Jones and Doak were substituted at half-time with Jake Cain and Luca Stephenson brought on in their places.
With Bobby Clark now supporting lone front-man Frauendorf, the midfielder had the young Reds’ first chance of the half as Liverpool looked to level the scores. Wriggling free from his man with clever footwork, he was unable to beat Whiteman with an attempted dinked finish.
The Reds were then left cursing the woodwork as Clark saw a strike tipped onto the inside of the post, before Cain’s strike from the edge of the box was deflected onto the crossbar. Meanwhile, Quansah would send a tame header straight at Whiteman from a Corness free-kick soon after.
Unable to take advantage of such chances, Spurs doubled their lead late on as Fagan-Walcott beat Davies with a looping header from the second attack, moments after the goalkeeper had tipped away a fierce Nile John strike.
The goal ultimately took the wind out of the 10-man Reds’ sails, and while they’d go on to have two penalty appeals for handball waved away, their efforts to fight back despite their man disadvantage ended in vain.
Liverpool starting XI: Davies; Ramsay, Quansah, Jonas, Chambers; Clark, Corness, Jones (Stephenson, 46); Doak (Cain, 46), Frauendorf (Blair, 77), Norris.
Unused subs: Musialowski, Kelly.
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