Oakley Cannonier was on target once again as Liverpool under-18s rediscovered the winning habit with victory over Sunderland.
Cannonier's 12th goal of a hugely productive season sent the young Reds on their way to a 3-0 U18 Premier League North win at the Academy on Saturday afternoon.
Melkamu Frauendorf scored for the second time inside a week and Harvey Blair also netted as Marc Bridge-Wilkinson's side bounced back after successive league defeats to Derby County and Leeds United to move up to third in the table.
In difficult conditions, the Reds went ahead on 31 minutes through a well-worked goal, Blair running on to a Luke Chambers ball down the left before his low cross was helped on by Frauendorf for Cannonier to smash home from close range.
Liverpool goalkeeper Harvey Davies saved well from Ben Middlemas and Oliver Bainbridge as Sunderland sought a response, before a lively second half saw chances at both ends.
The Reds, though, made the game safe with two goals in the final 10 minutes with Bobby Clark, a summer signing from Newcastle United, influential in both.
Clark drove into space in the Sunderland half and fed Frauendorf, who curled home with his right foot from just inside the penalty area.
And four minutes later, Clark got in down the left and pulled back for Chambers to strike a fierce shot Sunderland keeper Harrison Bond could only parry into the path of the lively Blair, who tucked home a neat first-time finish.
Liverpool U18s are next in action after the international break on Saturday, October 16 when they are at Aston Villa in the U18 Premier League Cup.
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Davies; Davidson, Bajcetic, Miles, Chambers; Stephenson, Frauendorf, Clark; Pilling, Cannonier, Blair. Subs: Lucky, Hewitson, Danns, Gyimah, Laffey.
