Calum Scanlon, who was a surprise omission from the USA tour squad, scored as Liverpool U21s won 2-0 in a pre-season friendly against National League North side Chorley.
Chorley FC 0-2 Liverpool U21s
Pre-season Friendly, Victory Park
July 27, 2024
Goals: Scanlon 20′, Young 80′
While several of Liverpool’s usual under-21 squad try to impress Arne Slot on the other side of the Atlantic, those left at home travelled to Chorley to play their senior side in a friendly.
Among the starting XI were some forgotten players who may have gone off fans’ radars, Billy Koumetio being one – he played just 11 times last season.
PSF no 9 @chorleyfc V @LFC U21s with a 2-0 victory to the reds, a warm day at Victory Park with a good run out ahead of the new season. A few images here the rest on the link below ?? https://t.co/5CXMJoiswR pic.twitter.com/YOaWTtBtBg
— David Airey (@dia_images) July 27, 2024
The centre-half lined up in a back four that also featured Terence Miles, Rhys Williams and Scanlon, who was a part of first-team training in the early part of pre-season.
In midfield, Dominic Corness, who is expected to leave this summer, was accompanied by Tommy Pilling and James Balagizi, while Tom Hill, James Norris and Oakley Cannonier were in attack.
With Fabian Mrozek having just left on loan and the Reds’ other young goalkeepers in the USA, Jakub Ojrzynski started between the sticks for Liverpool.
For Scanlon, last season marked his best campaign in Red as he came off the bench twice in the Europa League. He has started this campaign off well, too, scoring just 20 minutes into the match at Victory Park.
Against the National League North team, Scanlon played as an attacking left-back and his goal came thanks to his positivity on the wing when one of his crosses looped into the back of Chorley’s net.
Liverpool’s second came in the 80th minute, thanks to substitute Ranel Young’s persistence in pressing the goalkeeper to nick the ball and tap into an empty net.
The full match gallery from yesterday’s pre-season friendly vs @LFC U21s is now available to view with thanks to @dia_images!
— Chorley FC (@chorleyfc) July 28, 2024
Aside from Young, Kieran Morrison provided arguably the Reds’ biggest second-half threat as he ran directly at defenders to push Chorley backward.
After the match, coach Barry Lewtas was pleased with how his young side had dealt with playing against a senior side.
He told the official website: “I thought today Chorley were good. They were direct [and] they played on us. I thought we dealt with that side really well.
“We matched up, we competed and just in terms of how we kept the ball, I thought we linked the game really well in the first half but without causing enough the other way.
“But we got in behind a lot more in the second half and had a lot more control. Overall, we have to be pleased.”
Liverpool U21s: Ojrzynski; Miles, Williams, Koumetio (Lucky 60′), Scanlon; Corness, Pilling (Spearing 73′), Balagizi (Laffey 60′); Hill (Kelly 60′), Norris (Morrison 60′), Cannonier (Young 46′)
Subs not used: Poytress
