WONDER-STRIKE SENDS REDS THROUGH

Jimmy Rice 26 January 2007 Liverpool under-18s took another step towards retaining the Youth Cup with a 1-0 victory over Reading at Anfield on Friday night.

A wonder-strike from Jimmy Ryan earned the young Reds a quarter-final tie at either Sheffield United or Middlesbrough. The encounter got off to a cagey start, the hosts perhaps affronted at being made to attack the Kop end in the opening half. The first chance fell to the visitors on the quarter-hour mark when a well-flighted free-kick into the danger area was headed goalwards, Jay Spearing clearing off the line to keep the scoresheet blank. From there the holders were made to defend a barrage of lofted balls into the box, but despite having a distinct height advantage, Reading failed to catch out Martin Hansen, the 16-year-old Dane looking assured and confident between the sticks. The Royals did come close on 20 minutes though, with full-back Julian Kelly unlucky to see a 20-yard effort curl harmlessly into an empty Anfield Road stand. Steve Heighway's unchanged side had to wait more than 20 minutes to carve out their first opportunity. Ryan spotted keeper Alex McCarthy off his line before launching a speculative pot-shot into the arms of one of about 1,200 spectators huddled together in the Kop. The winger didn't have to wait long to make amends, however, thanks to the impressive Craig Lindfield, who teed him up on the edge of the box. Ryan's not a man to make the same mistake twice, and he made it 1-0 by firing a wicked volley which McCarthy found too hot to handle. The onlooking Rafa Benitez would surely have been impressed as he headed in for a half-time cup of tea. Reading might have scored a total of 10 goals in two previous cup games, but they looked short of ideas after the break when faced with a well-organised Liverpool backline led by Jay Spearing and Robbie Threlfall. Their best chance fell to Adam Bygrave, who latched on to a deflected cross only to be left red-faced when his sidefooted effort spiralled into the stand. Minutes later his teammate James Henry prompted the loudest cheer of the night when he emerged apparently unscathed after crashing headfirst into Row One of the Kop. Meanwhile, half-time substitute and Patrick Berger lookalike Astrit Ajdarevic was showing some classy touches in the centre of Liverpool's midfield. The 16-year-old Swede clearly has an eye for a pass and is not afraid to put his foot in, though he could have earned a yellow card for a rash challenge on the edge of his own box as the game entered its final third. A deflection sent the resulting free-kick from Simon Church spinning towards the top corner of Hansen's net, but the fledgling stopper was once again more than alert. As against Chelsea in the fourth round, left-winger Ray Putterill showed great willingness to run at his man, and it nearly paid dividends when he fired a pinpoint cross to Jimmy Ryan after leaving his opponent for dead. Ryan creating a few yards for himself before unleashing a swerved shot which floated narrowly wide. Reading twice came close to equalising in the final 10 minutes, but on both occasions were denied by Carragher-esque clearances from full-back Michael Burns. Liverpoolfc.tv man of the match: Jimmy Ryan. Martin Hansen, Stephen Darby, Michael Burns, Jay Spearing (capt), Robbie Threlfall, Charlie Barnett, Jimmy Ryan, Ryan Flynn, Craig Lindfield, Lee Woodward (Astrit Ajdarevic 45), Ray Putterill (Michael Collins 85). Alex McCarthy, Daniel Spence, Julian Kelly, Jem Karacan (capt), Adam Bygrave, Alex Pearce, James Henry (Hal Robson-Kanu 65) , Gylfi Sigurdsson (Viktor Illugason 60), Simon Church, Tom Hateley, Nicholas