Barnsley (0) 0 v Liverpool (1) 1 Barnsley Team 1. Tom Rusling (yr1) 2. Liam Reffin (yr1) 3. Ben Carlisle (u16) 4. Michael Tieman (yr1) 5. Martin Grundy (yr2) 6. Danny Fearnehough (yr1) 7. Alistair Taylor (yr1) 8. Tyrone Crapper (yr1) 9. Jamil Adam (yr2) 10. Jack Briscoe (yr1) 11. Jack Watts (yr2) Subs 12. Danny Warburton (yr2) 15. Jordan ? (u16) It must be 6 weeks since the team last played at home. Since then, the team has played only away games and the seasons have moved from winter to summer. As a result, the academy pitch is now dry and uneven, a factor which did not help the game. The second factor in the game was the referee who was so bad that he felt compelled to appoogise to the Liverpool bench at half time for one of his decisions. In fairness, he was equally incompetent for both sides. Sean Reid, who has played centre half for most of the season was replaced in the starting line-up by Michael Tieman, who usually plays fullback. Liam Reffin came in at right back and young Carlisle retained his place at left back. Fearnehough and Crapper filled the centre midfield roles, though both played for the reserves on Tuesday. Watts continued at left wing where he played with great success against Bolton and Adam (another who played on Tuesday) was up front with Briscoe. The first action of the game came on 9 minutes when the Liverpoll #9 outpaced Tieman down the middle but was undone by an awful bounce and could only sky the ball over. Barnsley responded on 14 minutes when a good cross by Briscoe was headed over by Watts when he should have done better. On 20 minutes, the Liverpool #10 ran from the halfway line into the Reds area with Adam in hot pursuit only to get another bad bounce and see his shot run weakly wide. Three minutes later, the Reds goal had another lucky escape as the Liverpool #7 cut in from the right and found his #10, who also found the reds keeper at his feet. The pressure told a minute later when a pass from the left found the Liverpool #7 in space at the edge of our box. He ran round the outside of Carlisle and hit a low shot just inside the left post. At this point, Barnsley dropped Watts deeper to cover Carlisle who was having a torrid time against the Liverpool #7 who was by far the best player on the pitch. Liverpool continued to hold the upper hand however, and the Liverpool #6 drove just over from the edge of the box on 36 minutes and the Liverpool #9 hit a post from 18 yards in 39 minutes. Liverpool really should have scored from the rebound when the Liverpool #7 headed wide. At half time, the reds were fortunate to be only 1 goal behind. Liverpool continued to dominate at the start of the second half as Rusling saved from the Liverpool #11 on 54 minutes and again from the Liverpool #10 on 59 minutes after a mistake by Carlisle allowed Liverpool to cross. Barnsley came briefly back into the game on 61 minutes when Watts got his head to a Taylor cross, but the Liverpool keeper saved easily. However, Liverpool were back on top on 71 minutes when the Liverpool #10 ran from half way beating several challenges from Barnsley's tiring midfield. He lost control at the edge of the box but the ball ran lose to the Liverpool #9 who shot just wide. A minute later the Liverpool #7 beat several players down the right and crossed well, but the Liverpool #10 could not match his good work with a finish. At this point a very tired Fearnhough was replaced by Warburton and Adam dropped back into midfield. The game was suddenly much more open as both teams' shape whithered in the hot sun. Midfield tussles became keener and Adam and Taylor were fortunate not to join Briscoe in the referees notebook. Nevertheless, in spite of their earlier dominance, there was considerable nervousness on the Liverpool bench as Barnsley at last came into the game. Liverpool should have made the game safe on 90 minutes as their #7 ran through a vacant midfield and round an unprotected keeper. His shot was weak and hit Tieman on the line from no more than 8 yards. The rebound was bundled wide by the Liverpool #9 and the referee blew for time for his only correct decision of the half. Motm The outstanding player on the field was the Liverpool #7 who went round everybody he took on for the whole 90 minutes. For Barnsley my task is more difficult. The team had an end of season feel to it consisting as it did of mainly year 1 students. Some of them clearly had Tuesday's reserve team game still in their legs. Everyone was annonymous throughout the first half, but I suppose Adam and Taylor stood out in the second, but not by much.
That Liverpool team was expensively put together. (Watch LFCtv on Setanta Sports) The No 7 was David Amoo who was bought from Millwall for a substantial fee. The No 9 was Laurie Della Vella, a Finnish Under 19 international who was purchased for another large amount. He has scored over 20 goals this season. The No 4 was Andre Wisdom, an England international acquired from Bradford again for a substantial amount and the No 10 was Thomas Ince, the son of Paul Ince. Thomas is also an England Under 17 international. And there are other internationals in the team and on the bench. That is why they had so much of the game as they have player's with much greater technical ability than our lads. Their touch is better, they pass it better. They are just better players. It's a bit like comparing the current Barnsley 1st team with the current Liverpool 1st team.It is much harder to play when you haven't got the ball and it was difficult at times. Given the quality of the opposition, I feel that we gave them a much better game than Birmingham City did in the FA Youth Cup Semi Final. I felt that Jack Briscoe deserves a mention for his non stop endeavour against a giant centre back (Joe Kennedy). He worked his socks off for the team feeding on scraps most of the time. I felt that the two centre backs (Grundy and Teiman) were our best two players today particularly when you consider the quality of the opposition that they were up against. The referee was absolutely hopeless. On another day both Adam and Taylor could have been booked or sent off for some of their reckless challenges. They were fortunaute that he was so poor. He got it wrong so often, it was almost funny in the end.
Great review as ever Redrain, my sons been this morning and phoned me at work to tell me of this right winger he`d seen. He obviously impressed you as well. Keep up the brilliant reports, i look forward to reading them.
The academy has a rearranged game at Huddersfield early next week so it may not be his last game. Someone on here mentioned that we can play 3 over age players in the academy team so he may well get some games for the academy team next year as well. Nevertheless, I think your point was "is he any good"? I am in 2 minds about Adam. He is probably the best of this year's 2nd years, although Danny Free cannot be far behind, and he can look a decent prospect. However, he can also look very ordinary, and when things are not going his way he is liable to boil over into petulism. At times like those, he has a tendancy to tackle recklessly and even dangerously. A sending off is never far away and one day he will break another players leg. In my opinion, his best position will eventually be in midfield where he may find the room he needs to use his deadball and long distant shooting skills. However, he is not the certainty that some people make out to make it to the first team.
My academy reports are mainly factual, that is an account of chances and goals with opinions mainly confined to the MotM section at the end. I am grateful for the additional information that you have provided about the Liverpool team, but it has no bearing on the facts of the match. I disagree about Jack Briscoe. The height difference between him and the Liverpool centre back put him at a great disadvantage which he in no way made up for by his effort. He was substituted on 61 minutes after being booked following a long series of niggley fouls, which resulted from his inability to have any impact on the game. I thought that Grundy had a decent game but felt that some of Tiemans alignment was wrong which often left him deeper than the rest of the back four, and therefore playing Liverpool forwards onside. For me, the highlight of the game was when the referee gave offside against Liverpool from a goal kick, and then had to apologise at half time after the Liverpool bench and players took the piss. He should have let one of his assistants take over at that point as things went from bad to worse.
I thought Tieman were our best player today. He made several great tackles and got in some good blocks toowhen team were under cosh. I like him, he gives 100% all time.
