Not for the first time in recent years, Liverpool were left ruing Manchester City after a dramatic Premier League 2 clash.
Joe Hardy’s brace wasn’t enough as the under-23s were beaten 3-2 by a last-gasp strike at City’s Academy Stadium on Friday evening.
Liverpool went ahead on 16 minutes when Tyler Morton slipped Hardy in behind the defence and the striker’s shot was too hot for City goalkeeper Cieran Slicker to keep out.
Liam Delap then hit the post for City before the home side deservedly levelled on 26 minutes, Alex Robertson finishing from close range after good work by Cole Palmer.
Palmer gave City the lead two minutes before the break with a fine individual goal, Liverpool goalkeeper Jakub Ojrzynski beaten at his near post.
But the Reds were back level less than a minute after the interval when Ben Woodburn won the ball inside the area and fed across for Hardy to finish from close range.
Ojrzysnki later made fine stops to twice deny Palmer and beat out powerful efforts from Adrian Bernabe and Tommy Doyle.
City, though, won it in the 89th minute when Felix Nmecha controlled a cross from the right from fellow substitute Ben Knight and prodded home.
Gallacher moves again
The last few weeks have showcased the versatility of Tony Gallacher.
Having featured at centre-back in the victory at Southampton, the 21-year-old Scot – who is a left-back by trade – scored one goal and assisted another from right-back in the weekend win over Brighton.
And here he was on the left side of a back three, joined by Morgan Boyes and Tom Clayton, who dropped back from defensive midfield.
The change couldn’t prevent City scoring twice before the break, the Reds now having leaked a worrying 42 times in 20 Premier League 2 games.
Liverpool’s improvement in the second half came following a switch to a back four with Gallacher returning to his usual full-back position and Owen Beck pushed up ahead of him on the left flank.
But with City pressing late on, the Reds switched back to a five-man defence.
And having conceded seven against their opponents earlier in the campaign, to have a creditable draw snatched away at the death will have hurt.
Morton learns as Bradley shines
Tyler Morton has a sense for the big occasion.
The 18-year-old notched his first goal at U23 level in the 7-2 home defeat to City, scored against their neighbours United in January and last week netted in the FA Youth Cup win over the same opposition.
And he demonstrated his creativity with a fine pass that set Hardy through to score Liverpool’s opener.
At times Morton was guilty of overplaying in a congested midfield and finding the pace of the game a little hot on occasion, but that’s all part of the learning curve.
Conor Bradley was another to have returned to U23 duty having featured in the FA Youth Cup win and had his hands full with the highly-rated Delap.
The 17-year-old has on several occasions been praised by Lewtas as the most consistent U23s player this season.
And he stood up well against the powerful City man, who has already scored for the first team.
Hardy posts reminder
If centre-back has been a problem position for Liverpool’s first team, for the U23s the issue has for some time been up front.
Paul Glatzel has barely featured this season through injury while Layton Stewart faces a lengthy spell out having damaged his anterior cruciate ligament.
Hardy, initially brought to the club from Brentford last year to help out with a previous injury crisis, has also had a spell on the sidelines.
When available, though, the 22-year-old guarantees goals, with his six Premier League 2 strikes this season coming at a rate of one every 64 minutes.
Regardless of his future at the club – the forward is out of contract at the end of the season – Hardy continues to show prospective suitors he knows where the onion bag is.
Liverpool are next in Premier League 2 action at Blackburn Rovers on Monday, April 19 (kick-off 7pm).
LIVERPOOL U23s (3-5-2): Ojrzynski; Boyes, Clayton, Gallacher; Bradley, Clarkson, Cain, Morton (Dixon-Bonner 80), Beck; Hardy (O’Rourke 77), Woodburn (Longstaff 86). Subs: Hughes, Savage.
