Liam Millar netted twice as Liverpool U21s lost 4-2 at Port Vale in their final group game in the EFL Trophy at Vale Park on Tuesday evening.
With qualification from the group stage not possible following defeats to Wigan Athletic and Tranmere Rovers in their opening two games in the competition, Barry Lewtas’ side were hoping for an encouraging display at Vale Park in the newly-renamed Papa John's Trophy.
Paul Glatzel made his first start of the season and played for an hour while Billy Koumetio also started and Joe Hardy made his return from injury.
Millar scored two brilliant goals as the young Reds gave a good account of themselves, but they were punished for some defensive lapses against their more experienced opponents.
Liverpool made the perfect start and took the lead after 10 minutes.
It owed to some fantastic work from Conor Bradley down the right flank. The Northern Irishman got away from Cristian Montano and fed Millar, who produced a clinical finish beyond the reach of Dino Vasser.
Within a minute the League Two side were level when Harry McKirdy found space down the left and his cross was headed into the net by an unmarked Mark Cullen from eight yards out.
After 14 minutes a slip from Remi Savage when the Reds were caught from their own corner let in McKirdy who found space just outside the box but his effort was well held by Vitezslav Jaros.
Four minutes later the home side took the lead.
Cullen was awarded too much space down the right flank and his cross found Alex Hurst who had time and space inside the penalty area to control and fire past Jaros.
It was close to being 3-1 on 22 minutes. A loose pass saw the home side charge forward and Cullen found himself clean through on goal, but Jaros produced a magnificent save to somehow divert his effort wide for a corner.
Cullen then got space just outside the box and was so unfortunate to see his fierce drive come back off the bar.

Millar was a lively force with his direct running. On 31 minutes a great run took him past two defenders but with Leighton Clarkson waiting in the middle his attempted cross was just cleared for a corner.
From the resulting flag kick Clarkson’s delivery picked out Sepp van den Berg but he could only send a free header over the bar.
Jaros then saved Liverpool again to deny Cullen from close range before Millar netted again to make it 2-2 after 34 minutes.
Clarkson’s astute pass fed the Canadian international down the left. He then cut inside the penalty area and fired an unstoppable effort into the net via a slight deflection.
Four minutes after the break the Reds almost took the lead.
A great pass from Clarkson fed Bradley down the right. The 17-year-old’s cross found Glatzel at the near post and he was denied by a fine save from Dino Visser, and as Luis Longstaff looked to put away the rebound he was blocked out by an excellent last-ditch tackle.

With Lewtas’ charges looking a real threat going forward there was always the danger they would be caught on the counter-attack, and so it proved on the hour mark as the home side regained the lead.
A ball over the top caught out Savage and McKirdy ran through and finished emphatically.
Three minutes later Koumetio gave the ball away cheaply on the edge of his penalty area and Devante Rodney had time and space to pick his spot as he drove the ball beyond the reach of Glatzel to make it 4-2.
Despite their frustrations at conceding two quick-fire goals the Reds continued to take the game to their opponents with Millar a constant menace to the Vale defence.
He fired an effort straight at Visser then with 15 minutes left to play Lewtas’ side had a glorious chance when Hardy did so well to win the ball back and fed Fidel O’Rourke with a clear sight of goal, but the forward could only slice his effort straight at Visser.
Liverpool U21s: Jaros, Bradley, Savage, Van den Berg, Koumetio (Beck, 69), Clarkson, Longstaff (Ritaccio, 69), Cain, Glatzel (Hardy, 61), O’Rourke, Millar.
Unused substitutes: Winterbottom, Sharif, Bearne.



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