Wolves 4 (Angel 19, C. McLeod 45+3, Voice 78, Harper 90+4) Liverpool 1 (Pitt 40)
Wolves under-18s responded to midweek FA Youth Cup disappointment by brushing aside second-placed Liverpool at Compton Park.
Goals from Dani Angel, Conor McLeod, Caden Voice and Fraser Harper completed an emphatic victory in the U18 Premier League as Richard Walker’s side put the visitors to the sword and moved up to fourth in the table.
Wolves made five changes to the team who were beaten on penalties by Queens Park Rangers at Molineux as Angel and Tom Edozie came into the eleven along with three under-16s in Alfie White, Josh Gidaree and Luke Rawlings.
However, it was Liverpool who enjoyed a brighter start and the youngsters in Old Gold were made to see out some early pressure.
Once they managed to do that, the chances at the other end began to flow. McLeod’s ball in behind found the run of Angel who dragged his effort wide before being given a second opportunity from a similar situation moments later.
Captain for the day Voice played a perfectly-weighted pass into the left channel which released Angel in on goal. The striker swung his left boot at the ball and it was the power that beat Nathan Morana in the away goal as despite the goalkeeper getting a strong hand on it, the ball bounced over the line.
It could have been two through a third Angel chance of the game while at the other end, Lewys Benjamin made a superb save to deny Liverpool before the backline stood firm to block the rebound.
Angel then looked to turn provider as he spotted the run of Edozie into the box, but the attacking midfielder didn’t quite catch the ball cleanly and the chance went begging.
Liverpool equalised five minutes before the interval when a corner wasn’t cleared and some pinball inside the area resulted in the ball dropping to the boot of Lucas Pitt who smashed into the net.
However, the home side regained the lead in the third minute of first half stoppage time when Edozie’s deep cross was met at the back post by McLeod who kept his composure and showed great quality to meet the ball on the volley and fire into the net.
Half-time | Wolves 2-1 Liverpool
Wolves hit the woodwork through Fabian Reynolds early into the second period, while Reds substitute Jayden Danns sent the ball wide for the visitors at the other end.
Walker made a double change just shy of the hour mark, with both Hayden Carson and Harper entering the play.
And the two substitutes combined shortly after when Harper’s corner was met on the volley by Carson, but the defender was unable to keep his effort down as the ball was always rising.
However, a similar opportunity fell to the boot of Voice on 78 minutes and this time, Carson’s defensive partner was able to make it count. Again, Harper delivered the corner and Voice met the ball sweetly on the volley and picked out the bottom corner to give Wolves a two-goal advantage.
Angel, who could have had a hat-trick on another day, struck wide again before Benjamin sensationally tipped Kieran Morrison’s shot onto the crossbar after a lovely piece of intricate play on the edge of the box as a backheel through to the substitute created the opening.
The Old Gold had been full of quality all afternoon, though, and it was a piece of individual brilliance that conjured up a fourth in added time. Fin Ashworth wrapped the ball into the feet of Harper who then expertly turned his man with a brilliant piece of skill to open up the goal, before he fired across Morana and into the far corner via the inside of the post.
Full-time | Wolves 4-1 Liverpool
NEXT FIVE
Darlaston Town (A) 19/12 BCC
Newcastle United (H) 06/01
Middlesbrough (A) 27/01
Sunderland (H) 10/02
Blackburn Rovers (A) 17/02
TEAMS
Wolves | Benjamin, White, Gidaree (Carson 56), Rawlings, Voice, Igbinoghene, Reynolds, Ashworth, Angel, Edozie (Nyakudya 88), C. McLeod (Harper 56).
Subs not used | Hardy, Plank.
Liverpool | Morana, Pitt, Giblin, Enahoro, Furnell-Gill, Lipton, Lambie, Kelly (Danns 67), Figueroa, Davidson (Morrison 46), Forrester (Pennington 67).
Subs not used | Misciur, Martin.
