Jayden Danns and Louie Komas scored the goals as Liverpool consigned Fulham’s under 21s to a first league defeat in four months on a bracing Merseyside afternoon.
The hosts’ first goal arrived against the run of play when Danns dispossessed Alex Borto after leading a ferocious Liverpool press on twenty minutes and, although Hayden Mullins’ men pushed for an equaliser, the clinical Louie Koumas made sure of all three points when he buried an emphatic finish past Fulham’s American goalkeeper after being played through on goal by a precise pass from Kaide Gordon.
Mullins’ starting eleven had a slightly different look to it. Luc de Fougerolles returned to the under-21 side for the first time in months having come through the FA Youth Cup stroll at Swansea, whilst Caelan Avenall earned a full debut at this level starting at right back after several encouraging cameos off the bench. Aaron Loupalo led the line in a fluid 4-3-3 and the Whites made the better chances early on.
Australian midfielder Chris Donnell saw a rising drive sting the fingertips of Fabian Mrozek before Terrell Works rifled a shot agonisingly wide of the far post. The bright start counted for little when eighteen year-old Danns seized on a heavy touch from Borto score his second goal in three games for Liverpool’s under 21s and his nineteenth of an astonishing campaign. The Reds could easily have increased their advantage with Borto making a sprawling save from Koumas and Gordon grazing the post having pulled the trigger following excellent hold-up play by Danns.
Fulham probed for an equaliser but struggled to create a clear-cut opening in the rest of the first half and came out on the front foot after the interval. Adrion Pajaziti put Donnell through on goal and the Australian rounded Mrozek but shot wide of the far post before the goalkeeper saved well from Loupalo-Bi, who was belatedly flagged offside. Pajaziti powered an effort straight at the Polish youth international, before Liverpool scored the second.
We showed signs of threat but went in at the break a goal down at a chilly LFC Academy.
Gordon surged nearly sixty yards with the ball after his quick feet had carried him away from danger inside his own half and picked out Koumas, who finished with a modicum of fuss. Gordon almost got one of his own when a 30-yarder flew fractionally over the bar before Danns and substitute Trent Kone-Doherty spurned good chances to make the scoreline more emphatic.
Matt Dibley-Dias came off the bench to make his first appearance for the under-21s since November after an untimely injury prevented the midfielder from winning a first senior cap for New Zealand. In stoppage time, promising full back Stefan Parkes made a welcome return from his own injury lay-off. Fulham will look to return to winning ways at Burnley on Monday in the Premier League Cup.
LIVERPOOL UNDER 21s (4-3-3): Mrozek, Lucky (McLaughlin-Miles 45), Scanlon, Pinnington, Nallo; Pilling, Davidson, Nyoni (Spearing 80′); K. Gordon (Kone-Doherty 89), Koumas, Danns. Subs (not used): O. Kelly, Pennington.
GOALS: Danns (19), Koumas (61).
FULHAM UNDER 21s (4-3-3): Borto; Avenall (Amissah 45), Esenga, de Fougerolles, Araujo; King, Pajaziti (Parkes 90+2), Donnell (Dibley-Dias 73); Works (L. Gordon 67), Sekularac, Loupalo-Bi. Subs (not used): Kaiser, Gordon.
BOOKED: Dibley-Dias.
REFEREE: Paul Marsden.
