With no match scheduled for Liverpool U21s this weekend, Nyoni and Ngumoha were both called upon to play for the under-18s, under the guidance of Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, on a grey morning in Kirkby. Nyoni played as the left-sided midfielder, while Ngumoha was positioned as the left-winger. The two had already linked up successfully in a 4-1 UEFA Youth League victory over Bayer Leverkusen U19s on Tuesday, and they nearly set up a goal here as well. Nyoni made a well-weighted pass to Ngumoha, who set up Josh Sonni-Lambie, but the latter’s shot hit the post.
Liverpool lined up in a formation close to a 4-2-3-1, with Nyoni and Ollie O’Connor covering a lot of ground in the midfield. The team created most of their opportunities down the left side, and one of their best chances came when Sonni-Lambie curled a shot toward the far corner, only for goalkeeper Noah Cooper to parry it straight to Joe Bradshaw, whose rebound shot was sent over from close range. Despite Liverpool’s efforts, they were unable to break the deadlock before the break. The score was 0-0 at halftime.
In the second half, Liverpool took the lead early, with Kareem Ahmed scoring just three minutes after the restart. The goal came from a brilliant move down the left, with left-back Clae Ewing overlapping Ngumoha, receiving the ball, and providing a low cross. Ahmed was quick to react and finished at the near post, nipping in front of the Stoke goalkeeper.
Stoke nearly equalized 10 minutes later when Louie Enaharo-Marcus’s loose pass was intercepted by Connor Day, but Day missed his one-on-one chance. Ngumoha then had another dangerous run, setting up Sonni-Lambie, but the latter’s effort was saved. Stoke’s best chance came in the 68th minute when they hit the inside of the post. Soon after, Sonni-Lambie doubled Liverpool’s lead with a composed finish into the bottom-left corner. Despite some late pressure from Stoke, Liverpool held firm, with key performances from Ewing, Ngumoha, and Nyoni ensuring the 2-0 victory. This win took Liverpool’s tally to seven points from nine in the Premier League 2 this season.
