Steve Hunter in Leyland 20 September 2005 David Raven scored the winner as Liverpool Reserves produced a superb performance to come back from 2-0 down to beat Bolton Wanderers 3-2 at the County FA ground in Leyland on Monday night.
Raven scored five minutes from time with a superb low drilled effort into the back of the net to give a young Reds team a deserved win. They did so well to come back and deserve great credit and showed a fantastic will to win and never gave up.
Bolton fielded summer signings Jared Borgetti and Hidetoshi Nakata in the first half and they were 2-0 up after 36 minutes but Danny Guthrie pulled a goal back just before half-time with a superb header.
David Mannix scored a fantastic free-kick to level the scores before Raven pounced.
Liverpool lost the injuredAntonio Barragan who limped off after 35 minutes after failing to recover from a strong tackle. However his replacement, Academy starlet Adam Hammill had a superb match.
Paco Herrera and Hughie McAuley fielded a young team with Raven moving to left back to give Godwin Antwi a chance at right back. Jack Hobbs returned to the team in the centre of midfield alongside David Mannix with Danny Guthrie playing wide. Ramon Calliste played up front with 17-year-old Besian Idrizaj just off him.
Liverpool almost opened the scoring after two minutes when Jack Hobbs was unlucky to see his effort go just wide from Barragan's cross. Then Welsh Under-21 international Ramon Calliste showed his blistering pace down the left wing when he beat two defenders and found Besian Idrizaj who was quickly closed down.
After 28 minutes a great turn past the defender gave Barraganan opportunity and he produced a great cross that Calliste just failed to meet as defender Mark Ellis just cleared behind for a corner.
Two goals in two minutes then looked to have put Bolton into the driving seat. First Jaraslaw Fojut pounced on a low cross to make it 1-0 then two minutes later a slip by 17-year-old centre half Miki Roque let in the experienced Jared Borgetti who produced a deadly finish to make it 2-0. To be fair to Roque that was the only ball he missed in the match and he had another excellent game showing good maturity and he is a winner.
Adam Hammill then came on for the injured Barragan and the Academy winger did his promising reputation no harm whatsoever. Hammill scored a sensational goal for the Under-18s in their 5-1 win at Huddersfield Town on Saturday when he beat five defenders before scoring, and he was to have a major contribution in Liverpool's comeback.
Hammill had a part in cutting the defecit to 2-1 after 43 minutes when he played in Idrizaj down the left. The Austrian produced a superb cross which was met by a thumping header from Danny Guthrie into the back of the net for a terrific goal. Guthrie is playing really well and he has made a terrific start to the season.
Liverpool's tails were up and they had two more great chances in first half stoppage time. Firstly Calliste ran clear of the Bolton defence but he hesitated and was blocked out after taking too long. Then Hammill took on the Bolton defence and produced a superb cross but neither Idrizaj or Guthrie could finish as the ball drifted just wide.
Bolton took off Nakata and Borgetti at half-time and Liverpool sensed a comeback was more than a distinct possibility.
Hammill was taking on defenders and causing havoc down the left wing, Jack Hobbs was tackling and battling superbly in midfield and Guthrie and Mannix were always probing for openings.
At the back a special mention for Godwin Antwi who was playing his first full game at right back. Normally a centre half, the 17-year-old from Ghana showed a great attitude and did really well winning the battle to stop dangerous winger Bedi Buval. Antwi is a strong boy and has a terrific will to win and competitive spirit.
For the second half Liverpool gave a debut to trialist from Hull City Paul Anderson. He played up front in the second half and showed some nice touches and always looked to take on defenders.
Hammill almost found a way through after 70 minutes when he beat four defenders with some great skill but just when it looked like he might get clean through he was denied by a fine tackle.
Liverpool then gave new Academy striker Michael Nardiello his reserve team debut for the final 15 minutes and he did really well.
The Reds equaliser on 75 minutes was a moment of absolute clbutt from David Mannix. Xabi Alonso style, Mannix curled an absolute pearler of a free-kick into the top corner of the net leaving the Bolton keeper Chris Howarth absolutely stranded.
Liverpool now looked for the winner and it came from an unlikely source, left back and captain David Raven. Guthrie's probing created the chance and after Hammill had been denied by Howarth, Raven pounced and drilled home the winner. The look of joy on the faces of the young Reds told it's own story and it was a great moment for Raven. The defender is a very consistent performer and he deserved the goal.
Bolton tried to hit Liverpool with plenty of long balls in the second half but Miki Roque and Danny O'Donnell held firm at the heart of the Reds defence and headed every ball clear.
Liverpool might have added to their tally before the final whistle. Nardiello wasunlucky to see an effort just clear the bar then Hammill had a goal controversially disallowed and then saw Howarth make a brilliant save to deny him.
This was a good night for Liverpool Reserves and Paco Herrera and Hughie McAuley will take many positives from this performance.
Extended highlights will be available to watch on Liverpoolfc.tv on Tuesday lunchtime.
Bolton Wanderers Reserves: Howarth, Powell, Stott, Whitehead (Smith 45), Ellis, Fojut, Sinclair, O'Brien, Borgetti (Sissons 45), Nakata (Roddy 45), Buval.
Liverpool Reserves: Willis, Antwi, Raven, Roque, O'Donnell, Hobbs, Barragan (Hammill 35), Mannix, Calliste (Nardiello 75), Idrizaj (Anderson 45), Guthrie. Subs unused: Peltier, Roberts (GK).
Referee: M Matadar.
Liverpoolfc.tv Man of the Match: Adam Hammill. The winger transformed the game for Liverpool and was exciting and caused Bolton all sorts of problems.
Jay -- LIVERPOOL FC - KINGS OF EUROPE MANCHE$TER BUCCANEERS & BLUEpooE - KINGS OF COMEDY
