U21s Report: Liverpool 2 Leicester City 1

First, Dan Cleary headed in at the back post to get his side on level terms, before Liverpool skipper Cameron Brannagan fired in from 25 yards to win the game for the Merseyside outfit. 

The fixture provided some valuable game time to goalkeeper Ben Hamer, while right back James Pearson captained Steve Beaglehole’s side. 

Heading into the tie, the Foxes had lost just once in their last 10 league games, beating the Reds 3-1 at King Power Stadium last month in that fine run of form. 

Liverpool, meanwhile, had just beaten Merseyside rivals Everton at Goodison Park, and could move top of the U21 Premier League with a victory against City. 

Leicester applied plenty of pressure early on, with Jak McCourt firing a low strike towards goal that forced Danny Ward into the first save of the game with three minutes on the clock. 

Wayward efforts from Sheyi Ojo and Harry Wilson then followed, but in-form forward Harry Panayiotou would go closest, forcing Ward into a fine point-blank save on 22 minutes. 

The aerial threat of Simonas Stankevicius caused Liverpool problems, with the Lithuania international bringing another good save out of Ward with a header just before the half-hour mark. 

Maintaining their tempo, City eventually took the lead with six minutes of the first half to play. Davis, who had won the initial free kick, nodded in over Ward from Jack Barmby’s cross to put his side 1-0 up. 

A chance to double the Leicester advantage fell to Panayiotou after the break, but the St. Kitts and Nevis international saw his shot blocked deep in the opposition box on 48 minutes. 

City pushed for a second, but just 10 minutes later, the hosts were level as Cleary headed in unmarked at the back post to make it 1-1. 

Ojo threatened from the left wing, first cutting inside and testing Hamer, before dragging another shot across the face of goal. 

Liverpool upped their game and took the lead six minutes after their equaliser. Hamer punched the initial delivery clear, but captain Brannagan was on hand to hammer in from 25 yards to make it 2-1. Already unsighted, Hamer appeared to be tripped as the shot came in. 

The lively Ryan Kent came close to adding a third goal, but his effort was blocked, before Davis threw himself in the way of Connor Randall’s powerful drive. 

Ojo then curled wide of Hamer’s post, but it was City who came closest to scoring again late on. Davis nodded down to substitute Danny Rowe, but the young forward couldn’t hit the target, and fired wide under pressure. 

It proved to be a frustrating afternoon for City, who put in a dominant performance in the first half, but were ultimately undone by two set-plays in the second period. 

Leicester face another away trip next as they travel to Southampton for their penultimate 2014/15 U21 Premier League fixture on Monday 11 May (7pm kick-off) at St. Mary's Stadium. 

LIVERPOOL: Ward, Randall, Hart, Cleary, Maguire, O’Hanlon, Wilson (Whelan 73), Brannagan (c), Sinclair (Yesil 88), Ojo, Kent (Canos 84) 

SUBS NOT USED: Vigouroux, Trickett-Smith 

GOALS: Cleary 58, Brannagan 64 

CITY: Hamer, Pearson (c), Chilwell, McCourt, Davis, Sesay, Dodoo (Miles 46), Rowley (Rowe 82), Stankevicius, Panayiotou, Barmby (King 80) 

SUBS NOT USED: Kipre, Maddison 

GOAL: Davis 39 

REFEREE: Simeon Lucas