Liverpool U18s were left licking their wounds after they were subjected to a 4-2 Premier League North defeat at Middlesbrough on Saturday.
Ajay Matthews gave the hosts an early lead in the sixth minute before Aiden James Bridge converted a penalty 20 minutes later to double their advantage.
Matthews scored his second of the match and Boro's third in first-half injury time, leaving Marc Bridge-Wilkinson's team with a mountain to climb.
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Trent-Kone Doherty pulled one back for the Reds in the 83rd minute, but Jack Patterson made sure that the three points would be staying in Teeside when he added a fourth two minutes from time.
Liverpool were handed a consolation deep into the injury time when they were awarded a penalty that saw Rio Patterson-Powell sent off as a consequence. Jayden Danns made no mistake from the spot, but it was too little too late for the young Reds, who had to make the long journey back to Merseyside empty-handed.
Liverpool U18s: Hewitson, Davidson, Omoruyi (Hayes-Green, 40), Samuels (Gymiah, 46), Scanlon, Pilling, Pennington (Danns, 46), Laffey, Gift (Ahmed, 74), Kone-Doherty, Young.
Subs not used: Trueman.
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