 LIVERPOOL RES 1 Birmingham Res 0
 Report
by Peter Schulz at the Racecourse Ground
Scorer(s) - Paul Anderson
Half Time - 0-0
Venue - The Racecourse Ground
Date - Mon 4 Apr 2006
Star Man - Paul Anderson
Liverpool reserves beat Birmingham City 1-0 in convincing style on Monday night at the
Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. 17-year-old trialist Lee Tomlin played for 25 minutes and
played a part in setting up Paul Anderson’s goal 2 minutes from the end. In reality, the
win could easily have been much bigger as Legzdins was by far the busier goalkeeper all
night.
The reds lined up in a 4-4-1-1 with Martin in goal, and a back four of Barragan and
Roque either side of Antwi and O’Donnell. The midfield consisted of Hobbs and Peltier in
the centre with Foy starting on the left and Anderson on the right. Up front Guthrie
played just behind Calliste.
The reds started off well and quickly took control of the game with Hobbs and
Guthrie in the driving seat in the middle of the park. Their first effort came on 17
minutes when Robbie Foy picked the ball up on the halfway line, turned and made good run
before unleashing a decent long range effort which fizzed wide of Legzdins’ post.
Two minutes later, Welsh U21 forward Ramon Calliste saw a good dipping effort from
the edge of the box tipped over the bar by the visitors’ keeper.
Chances kept coming and Paul Anderson shot just wide after being fed through
brilliantly by the impressive Jack Hobbs. Further chances fell to Roque whose shot on the
turn was harmless, and to Anderson who latched on to a through ball by Foy, cut inside and
shot just wide.
Right on the stroke of half time David Martin pumped a high ball deep into
Birmingham territory. Paul Anderson chased it well, and he muscled the defender off the
ball on the line before cutting it back to Ramon Calliste whose shot was deflected and
went wide.
The began the second half the way they’d ended the first – in total control. On
52 minutes Danny Guthrie put in an inviting low cross from the right, but the defender
flung himself at it and gave away the corner with Calliste behind him ready to pounce.
Two minutes later, good work from Robbie Foy on the left saw him carry it across
the pitch and give the ball to Guthrie who in turn picked out Anderson. The winger flicked
it over the head of the fullback and latched onto it, but his shot on the half volley went
half a foot over the bar.
With 20 minutes played of the second half, Herrera and McAuley made the first
change of the night bringing on trialist Lee Tomlin from Rushden & Diamond for the
disappointing Ramon Calliste. The Welshman really flatters to deceive at times. It seems
he could be far more effective, but he often makes the wrong choices and dallies on the
ball taking too many touches when perhaps he should be getting his head up and see what
options are available.
Lee Peltier then headed a Robbie Foy corner from the right goalwards as the reds
were making a final push to claim all three points. Again the keeper made a comfortable
save.
With half an hour played of the second period Adam Hammill replaced Danny Guthrie
in a move which saw Foy switching to a central role and Hammill slotting in on the left
side of midfield.
A minute later, Lee Tomlin made his first meaningful contribution to the match when
he got up to steer Barragan’s throw in towards the near corner. It was well directed but
the keeper was equal to it and turned it wide. The resulting corner caused more havoc in
the Birmingham defence, but in the end Roque’s shot was blocked and Anderson’s follow
up cleared.
At this stage the reds were dominating the game completely with Birmingham
struggling to get it out of their own half at times. The management team made another
change bringing on James Smith for the hard working Miki Roque, who again found himself
impressing spectators in another new position for him.
With five minutes to go, strong work in midfield by Lee Peltier saw him feed Adam
Hammill who had come inside. He unleashed a powerful 25 yard shot, but again the keeper
tipped the ball over the bar.
Three minutes later the reds finally broke the deadlock. Tomlin chased a lost cause
and forced Legzdins into making a hurried clearance which went up in the air. The forward
picked the ball up on the left hand side, turned, and laid it off for Hammill on the edge
of the box.
His shot was pushed onto the post and rolled across the goalmouth. Paul Anderson
was quickest and slotted the ball home from the narrowest of angles a couple of yards out.
It was just reward for a thoroughly impressive showing by the young reds.
The game summed up Liverpool reserves this season. Very strong at the back where
Martin did not have a real save to make, solid in midfield, but lacking creativity and
power in the final third of the pitch. The team does not score enough goals and one would
assume that is why Tomlin was handed a chance to impress.
The little man didn’t do much wrong. He is built a bit like Blackburn’s Craig
Bellamy with a nice little mullet and all and is extremely bowlegged. He looks strong
though, and it will be interesting to see whether he will be offered a contract when his
trial period is over.
There were several candidates for the TLW star man award as Jack Hobbs and Lee
Peltier were strong defensively and shored up the midfield well. Peltier, who apparently
doesn’t start his suspension for last week’s red card yet, is even beginning to make
his presence felt when going forward, and that’s definitely something he seems to have
added to his game recently. Perhaps the trust shown in him by Herrera and McAuley is
beginning to pay off.
The back four were solid all night and didn’t give the Birmingham team a sniff
all night. On the wing Robbie Foy was again in good form, but star man was Paul Anderson
whose best position is definitely on that right wing. He looks dangerous once he gets to
run at his man and he is good at getting on the end of balls played in the channel between
fullback and centre half, and on the outside. He has frightening pace and tonight it
helped him reach the rebound from Hammill’s shot for the decisive goal.
Next reserve game is Wednesday night at Sunderland for the rearranged fixture. A
report from that game will be on the site before the weekend.
Team: Martin; Barragan, Antwi, O'Donnell, Roque (Smith); Anderson, Hobbs,
Peltier, Foy; Guthrie (Hammill), Calliste (Tomlin). |
Liverpool : Martin, Barragan, Roque, Antwi, O'Donnell,
Hobbs(C), Anderson, Peltier, Calliste, Guthrie, Foy
Subs Used : Lee Tomlin for Calliste (65), Hammill for Guthrie (74), Smith for Roque
(83)
Subs Unused : Lancaster, Woods
Tonight saw a game at The Racecourse where the visiting team Birmingham failed to
have a single shot on target. However it still took Liverpool until the dying moments to
force the victory.
This game exposed the shortcomings of what, on the whole, is a very impressive reserve
team. The two errant areas that were patently clear for all to see tonight was the lack of
a proper finisher and the lack of creativity from central midfield. With Lee Peltier and
Hobbs in midfield mainly concentrating on defensive duties, it puts a lot of pressure on
Guthrie to provide the spark and if he is marked out of the game or just not on top form
we really lack fluency.
On the bench for The Reds tonight was 17 year old Lee Tomlin who is on a trial for
Rushden and Diamonds. Also coming back from injury Adam Hammill was back among the
substitutes.
The first chance of the game fell to Birmingham. It was the only chance they were
able to muster all night and even that one was more down to a Liverpool defensive error.
With ten minutes gone the industrious Foy was clearing up at the back but tried to do a
little too much. The ball fell the path of McPike but he could only blast over from 18
yards.
After this scrappy start Liverpool started to dominate possession and control the
game. The first shot on goal in the match was from Calliste. He turned twenty five yards
out and let fly. It was a powerful dipping effort and the impressive Legzdins in goal for
Birmingham could only tip over.
On twenty minutes as the ball left the field of play one fan saw his chance and
took it. Jumping up from his front row seat he headed the ball back over the advertising
hoardings and on to the pitch. Unfortunately for him his shades followed the ball onto the
field. Roque, tonight occupying the left back position tried his best to pass them back,
but play restarted and he had to rush off.
When the sun had gone down on that brief interlude Liverpool captain Jack Hobbs was
again asserting himself in midfield. This time he won the ball with a brilliant tackle,
jumped to his feet and slid Anderson in on goal. The youngster was heading away from goal
but his first touch set the ball up nicely to be hit right footed on the half volley. He
hit it well and got plenty of power but the shot went just wide.
Liverpool's best chances of the half came just before half time. On 43 minutes
Roque was the man to win the tackle this time and he opted for a short pass to Foy who
looked up and slipped a pass through the defence to Anderson. The defender managed to get
a touch forcing Anderson to cut back, before steadying himself and this time shooting with
his left. Again he made good contact, but once more failed to hit the target.
A minute later and the lively Anderson was again the protagonist. He chased down a
long Martin kick. When all seemed lost he managed to beat City left back Blake to the
ball. He cut back inside and as he ran on goal he slipped the ball back to Calliste. The
Welsh U21 international shot first time but a diving block from Painter saw the ball
ricochet away for a corner.
Half Time: 0-0
Liverpool started the second half as they had finshed the first. Again Blake was
beaten, this time by Guthrie. He played a hard and low cross inside the six yard box which
Painter did well to intercept, his sliced clearance looping over the crossbar.
Foy had again been looking dangerous tonight and on 54 minutes he produced a lovely
piece of skill to beat two men. He then slipped it into Guthrie. He hit a cross field ball
to Anderson who beat his man by taking the ball over his head. The young winger the ball
on the volley but the end result engendered a sense of deja vu, with probably too good a
contact seeing the ball frustratingly fly over the bar.
Tomlin came on for Calliste with twenty five minutes to go. There was plenty of
running in him and he was certainly doing his best to make a good impression. Ten minutes
after coming on he had a chance. Barragan took a huge throw in from the right wing and
Tomlin was first to it. The trialist rose and nodded the ball down toward the bottom
corner only to see an alert Legzdins diving to his left to turn the ball behind for a
corner.
With just over quarter of an hour to go Hammill came on. He was lively from the
minute he got on and nearly scored in the 85th minute. He curled a shot from twenty five
yards but again Legzdins was well positioned to turn the ball behind. Liverpool had an
impressive corner count but were still yet to register a digit where it counts.
Just when it seemed the game had petered out to a stalemate Tomlin chased down a
long and hopeful through ball. He did enough to make the keeper rush his clearance and
miskick from just outside the box. Tomlin chased the ball down, turned and fed Hammill.
Hammill took a touch, set himself and shot low to the keeper's right hand side but
Legzdins made a good save tipping the ball onto the post. Anderson's eyes lit up as he saw
the ball bouncing along the goal line and he knew he wasn't going to miss from two yards
out. 1-0.
There was an audible sigh of relief from Liverpool fans and players on the final
whistle. To have gone away from this game with anything other than a win would have been a
huge disappointment.
Full Time: 1-0
Man of the Match: Not an easy choice
as there were no real stand out performances. Hobbs was again very strong and a calming
influence in midfield, but I'll go for Peltier as he is trying to adapt his game to get
forward more to drive the team on. He grew in stature as the game progressed today.
© AdamS 2006
 Liverpool Reserves 1, Birmingham Reserves 0 Apr 4 2006, Daily
Post
PAUL ANDERSON struck with two minutes to go to give Liverpool reserves a 1-0
victory against Birmingham City in the Barclays FA Premier Reserve League North last
night.
Anderson fired in a rebound from a tight angle after Adam Hammill's shot had been
saved by City keeper Legzdins.
After a low key opening Robbie Foy produced the first goal attempt of the game with
a low drive from 25 yards which went just wide. Ramon Calliste tried his luck from similar
range and forced a smart save out of City keeper Legzdins.
Anderson then went close with a rasping half-volley following great play by Jack
Hobbs.
The winger then saw another effort go just wide after a superb ball from Foy had
created the opening. Anderson was beginning to cause City a lot of problems, and
persistent play from him on the stroke of half-time saw him cut the ball back to Calliste,
but his shot was deflected behind by a defender.
Liverpool made a bright start to the second half, and four minutes in Painter was
forced into a sliced clearance over his own bar following Danny Guthrie's low cross.
Guthrie was involved again three minutes later when his sweeping pass picked out
Anderson who took the ball past the fullback before powering a shot just wide.
With 65 minutes gone Liverpool introduced Lee Tomlin, a 17-year-old triallist from
Rushden & Diamonds, in place of the ineffective Calliste.
It was one-way traffic but Liverpool were finding it hard to create any clear-cut
openings despite completely dominating possession.
Peltier had a header saved by Legzdins following a corner, and Tomlin was also
denied by the keeper with a header from Barragan's enormous throw in.
Substitute Adam Ham-mill was next to be foiled by Legzdins when his spectacular
long range blast was tipped over.
The City keeper had looked unbeatable all evening, but Liverpool finally got the
goal their dominance deserved when Anderson struck late on.
LIVERPOOL RESERVES: Martin, Barragan, Roque (Smith
83), Antwi, O'Donnell, Hobbs, Anderson, Peltier, Calliste (Tomlin 65), Guthrie (Hammill
74), Foy.
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