Here's the report from the OS.Tough game and enjoyable to watch and great fighting spirit to keep going to snatch the win.
The young Blues made it eight wins on the bounce in tricky conditions thanks to late strikes from Angelino and Jorge Intima. Swirling wind made it difficult to judge the flight of the ball, but City dug in and were rewarded with victory to keep their place at the top of the u18 table.
For this visit of Liverpool, Jason Wilcox made just two changes from the team that eased to victory over Middlesbrough last weekend.
Tosin Adarabioyo came into the centre of defence to partner Matthias Bossaerts, while Jack Byrne returned from injury to regain his place in the starting XI. Denzeil Boadu dropped to the bench, while Angus Gunn retained his place between the sticks.
The game exploded into life almost from kick-off. Intima skewed an early shot wide after a beautiful back heel lay-off from Byrne, while Tom Brewitt made a vital block for the Reds just minutes later and Byrne himself fired just wide on the volley.
In the end, it took Intima just 11 minutes to find the net to give City a deserved lead, fighting his way through the Liverpool defence to slot the ball past Ryan Crump in the visitors’ goal.
Liverpool began to gain a foothold in the game and there were loud shouts for a handball in the box by the Reds attackers, although the protests were waved away by the referee. Shortly afterwards, the visitors spurned a great opportunity to level the scores when Oluwaseyi Ojo played the ball past the onrushing Gunn, but Adarabioyo got back just in time to clear.
The wind got stronger as half time approached and City found it difficult to play their usual eye-catching passing style. Instead it was the Reds who created a number of half chances, Gunn saving from Dan Smith after Liverpool had broken away from a City corner to good initial effect, before Harry Wilson’s effort skimmed just past the post.
Having had the best of possession, City went into half time deservedly ahead and emerged fired up after the interval. James Horsfield smacked the ball just past the upright less than a minute after the restart as City looked to replicate their early dominance.
Instead they were stunned as the visitors netted twice in two minutes. Alex O’Hanlon finished off a good team move for the first and Liverpool took the lead while Wilcox’s young charges were still reeling from the equaliser.
However, City were quick to display the determination which has seen them catapult to the top of the table, and Brandon Barker had two chances to find the net almost immediately. The winger just missed the target at the first attempt, but fired high and wide on the half turn when given a second opportunity.
Thierry Ambrose was desperately unlucky not to add to his impressive goal tally when he smacked the ball against the bar after expertly rounding the keeper, while substitute Boadu was played in by Intima but Crump made himself big to block the shot.
The game looked to be petering out but Angelino, Boadu and Bersant Celina maintained good pressure on the left hand side, and were rewarded at last in the first minute of stoppage time. Angelino curled the ball into the box and the wind took it straight into the top corner.
City were revitalised while the visitors wilted, and as the Blues charged forward once more it was left to Intima to scramble the ball home for the sweetest of finishes.
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