We should have won - Hugh McAuley
Nov 6 2007
Academy Football
by Chris Wright, Liverpool Daily Post
ASTRIT ADJAREVIC’S spectacular strike wasn’t enough to win Saturday’s Premier Academy League derby at the Kirkby Academy as Liverpool under-18s had to settle for a point in a 1-1 draw.
The Croatian-born Swedish youth international fired in from 25 yards with 25 minutes to go. But an equaliser five minutes later from Everton’s Jack Rodwell meant Hugh McAuley’s side couldn’t celebrate victory.
German striker Marvin Pourie, back following a three-match suspension, struck the post two minutes before half-time, while David Amoo and Nathan Eccleston also went close.
Ben Parsonage had a shot deflected onto the bar early in the second half, while Eccleston had a couple of chances, with one headed effort cleared off the line.
Adjarevic fired in the opener after 65 minutes with a rasping drive into the bottom corner.
Everton equalised soon after, but both Eccleston and Pourie had chances to win it afterwards, but failed to take them.
Liverpool finished the match with 10 men when midfielder Sean Highdale was sent off late on for two bookable offences.
Coach McAuley was delighted with side’s efforts. He said: “We felt we should have won. We created the better chances and had three or four good opportunities to win the game. But we never took them.
“I thought we played some good football. We passed the ball well throughout the game and defensively did everything that was asked of us. Set-pieces were Everton’s main threat, and their goal came from one of them. That was probably the only disappointing thing about the performance really.”
Liverpool will look to get back to winning ways at Bolton Wanderers this Saturday (kick-off 11am).
McAuley is hopeful centre-back Joe Kennedy will shake off a back problem which forced him off late on in the derby draw, while midfielder Alex Kacaniklic missed the match with flu. Michael Scott is back in training following some work on his cartilage.
LIVERPOOL UNDER-18s: Hansen; Awang, Kennedy (McGiveron 85), Irwin, O’Connor; Amoo, Highdale, Ajdarevic, Parsonage (Collins 75); Pourie, Eccleston. Subs: McDonald.
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