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| Wednesday
19 September 2007 19:30 Wigan Athletic - Liverpool 0 - 3 FA
Premier League Reserves (Northern Division) |
| Wednesday 19 September 2007
19:30 FA Premier League Reserves (Northern Division) |
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| "Wigan
Athletic" |
0 - 3 |
"Liverpool" |
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(0-1) |
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| GOAL |
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Brouwer 5, El Zhar 62, Putterill 83 |
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Team: 1. Mike Pollitt,
Moore, Ashworth, Pearson, Salomon Olembe, Rachid Bouaouzan, Ryan Taylor, Lewis Montrose,
Craig Mahon, Chris McCaughtrie, Cywka.
Subs: Saunders,
King, McArdle, Holt, Matthew Hampson. |
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Team: 1. David
Martin, Stephen Darby (c), Emiliano Insua, Mikel San Jose, Jack Hobbs, Jay Spearing, Nabil
El Zhar, Damien Plessis, Craig Lindfield, Jordy Brouwer, Sebastian Leto.
Subs: Peter Gulacsi, Ronald Huth, Ryan Crowther, Ray Putterill, Ryan
Flynn. |
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| SUBSTITUTIONS |
| Bouaouzan (McArdle 46), McCaughtrie
(Hampson 46), Taylor (Holt 86) |
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Brouwer (Flynn 66), Plessis
(Putterill 72), El Zhar (Crowther 74) |
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| OFFICIALS & BOOKINGS |
| Referee: C Sarginson |
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| VENUE |
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RESERVE
MANAGERS |
JJB Stadium (capacity )
Attendance: 1,207 |
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Mark Seagraves (Wigan A)
Gary Ablett (Liverpool) |
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 BROUWER
OFF THE MARK AS RESERVES TRIUMPH
Jordy Brouwer grabbed his first goal for Liverpool Reserves as Gary Ablett's men
secured an impressive 3-0 victory away to an experienced Wigan Athletic side.
The Dutch forward was on hand to open the scoring as early as the fifth minute as a
young Reds side gave Rafael Benitez food for thought ahead of next week's Carling Cup
clash at Reading.
The hosts included veteran goalkeeper Mike Pollitt and Cameroon international
Salomon Olembe, who featured in both the 1994 and 1998 World Cup finals, in their starting
line-up but it was the inexperienced visitors who made the brighter start.
Sebastian Leto, who proved to be a real threat throughout the night, flashed an
effort just past the upright on two minutes before Brouwer pounced with the first
clear-cut opportunity of the match three minutes later.
Nabil El Zhar found the overlapping Stephen Darby down the right and when his
searching cross was headed goalwards by Craig Lindfield, Jordy Brouwer reacted to nod home
from close range.
The Wigan defence continued to struggle with the pace and invention of the
Liverpool forwards and on 11 minutes it should have been two but Pollitt reacted well to
keep out Lindfield.
Jay Spearing then tested the Wigan stopper from distance before the hosts had their
best chance of the first half when Chris McCaughtrie fired wide of David Martin's goal.
Wigan made two changes at the interval in an attempt to alter the course of the
game but the Reds remained in control and should have doubled their lead on 53 minutes.
Lindfield again found himself in acres of space but after surging down the right
flank he dragged his effort wide of the far post.
Wigan responded with their best chance of the match when substitute Matthew Hampson
curled a superb 25 yard effort just past the post with Martin well beaten.
It was as close as the home side came as the Reds hit a second on 62 minutes when
El Zhar drilled the ball past the despairing dive of Pollitt after Spearing headed Leto's
cross back into the danger zone.
And the Reds made sure of the points on 83 minutes when Leto again caused havoc
down the left before crossing low for substitute Ray Putterill to fire home from close
range.
Wigan Reserves: Pollitt, Moore, Olembe, Taylor (Holt), Hall, Ashworth, Bouaouzan
(Hampson), Montrose, Mahon, McCaughtrie (Pearson), Cywka.
Liverpool Reserves: Martin, Darby, Insua, San Jose,
Hobbs, Spearing, El Zhar (Crowther 74), Plessis (Putterill 72), Lindfield, Brouwer (Flynn
66), Leto.
Referee: Mr C Sarginson
Liverpoolfc.tv Man of the Match: Sebastian Leto. Two
assists and a constant threat throughout the contest.
By Paul Hassall
© Copyright of Official Site Liverpool FC
Wigan Res 0 LIVERPOOL RES 3
Scorer(s) - Jordy Brouwer, Nabil El Zhar, Ray Putterill
Half Time - 0-1
Venue - JJB Stadium, Wigan
Date - Wed 19 Sep 2007
Star Man - Sebastian Leto
Sebastian Leto put in a solid performance as Liverpool reserves beat their Wigan
counterparts 3-0 on Wednesday night. Just as the rest of the country was getting ready to
watch Arsenal and Manchester United do the nation proud (unlike Liverpool and Chelsea)
over a thousand fans at the JJB Stadium saw Gary Ablett’s side, lead by the dangerous
Argentinian, destroy their hosts in a one sided affair.
Despite the arrival of God knows how many new faces (can anyone keep track
anymore?) only three of them – the promising Mikel San Jose and Damien Plessis and
aforementioned Sebastian Leto – had made it into the starting eleven. Two of the new
Hungarians weren’t even in the squad, although keeper Peter Gulacsi made the bench.
The reds dominated from the first whistle and within a couple of minutes had
already threatened the Wigan goal twice after neat some wing play. The opener arrived as
early as the fifth minute when fullback Stephen Darby crossed from the right towards the
back post. Craig Lindfield rose like a salmon to head across goal where Dutch forward
Jordy Brouwer, who arrived in January, was on hand to score his first reserve league goal
for the club from about half a yard.
In the next minute, however, Wigan could have been level when Mikel San Jose
slipped with the ball at his feet. This allowed his opponent (no idea who, but let’s
just call him no. 10) to nip in and steal the ball, but his long range effort went wide of
David Martin’s goal.
The reds kept creating chances throughout the half and it never looked like the
goals had dried up. Leto and El Zhar changed wings a couple of times to add to the
confusion in a Wigan backline that, at times, was all over the place.
Leto especially, looks threatening at pace with the ball at his feet, and he gave
the fullbacks a torrid time all night. On the opposite flank El Zhar was a bit more hit
and miss, but he did show good touches and some flashes of brilliance.
The most entertaining moment of the half came, however, when Jordy Brouwer collided
with the referee just outside the Wigan box and both had to receive treatment.
Disappointingly, the referee – unlike Brouwer – did not have to wait for an official
to wave him back on when play had resumed.
The second half saw much of the same even though the tempo went down slightly. At
the back, San Jose and Hobbs were rarely put under pressure, and Martin had only a couple
of long range efforts to deal with. On this evidence, Mikel San Jose is a very composed
and calm defender, and Hobbs was just Hobbs. No nonsense, but definitely benefiting from
his season in midfield the year before last. Their two fullbacks both performed solidly as
well.
Further forward Damien Plessis and Jay Spearing dominated the midfield and Craig
Lindfield was busy as ever up front and was constantly making dangerous runs on the edge
of offside. Brouwer, despite his goal, still looks a little off the pace, I must admit.
The second goal arrived just after the hour mark when Sebastian Leto powered his
way through on the left and put a great cross onto the back post where Jay Spearing headed
it down to Brouwer. His effort was blocked, but the ball fell to El Zhar who chested it
down, took one touch and fired it under Mike Pollitt to double the lead.
Then came Ablett’s substitutions. Brouwer, Plessis and El Zhar went off within 9
minutes and they were replaced by Ryan Flynn, Ray Putterill and Ryan Crowther.
And it was one of them, Ray Putterill who benefited from more brilliant play by the
Argentinian left winger. Again Leto reached the byline and his low cross, which was fired
in with pace, was collected by the substitute who then couldn’t miss with his second
touch. He made it three from about seven yards.
And even after that there was more goalmouth action as Lindfield picked up a good
ball from Putterill, but his right foot curler crashed off the bottom of Pollitt’s far
post. And in the final minute of the game, Mike Pollitt was called into action again to
save Putterill's low shot. 'Razor' had another good chance in stoppage time but his
powerful close range shot found the side netting.
Team: Martin; Darby, San Jose, Hobbs, Insua; El Zhar (Crowther 75),
Spearing, Plessis (Putterill 73), Leto; Brouwer (Flynn 66), Lindfield.
Report by Pete Schulz at the JJB Stadium
© Copyright of Liverpool Way |
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