Anyone going to the U18's before the City game?

[MasterHaynes]

Any chance of any updates on game and result

[Swedish Terrier]

If you have twitter @elgreenio is there and providing updates.

[SouthfieldWhite]

Unfortunately Fulhamu18s lost 0-3 to Liverpool u18s this morning

I met El Greenio for the first time and a top fella, alot of respect to him from travelling from Milton Keynes to watch the Youths

[elgreenio]

can say the same about yourself. In fact, can say that everybody i've met from this forum has been a thoroughly nice person.

Had a nice one-to-one before the game with Huw Jennings and he's only gone up in my view. Match report is done but out of courtesy the reports from now on will be going to the club first and will be up hopefully Monday afternoon.

[elgreenio]

apologies for the delay but these have to go through the club from now on :

First of all, a massive thankyou to Huw Jennings for sparing his time before the game for a chat, and to all the academy staff for making this possible.

Fulham welcomed Liverpool to Motspur Park on Saturday looking to stretch their 100% record this season into its fifth game. There were two personnel changes to the team that held off a strong Man City team last week, Hyndman returning to the starting line-up along with Dan O'Reilly. Though the players didn't change much, there was an interesting decision to play Passley from right midfield and slot O'Reilly in to partner Arthurworrey at the back. In goal was Max Oberschmidt, looking to cement his place as number 1 after some unfortunate injuries. Donnelly continued at right back with Evans at left back. In midfield Hyndman paired Della-Verde, with Williams again from the left and as mentioned Passley from the right. Tankovic partnered captain Woodrow up front. Solomon Sambou missed out, and Patrick Roberts - who had a long trip to Northern Ireland to be involved in England's next inevitably successful Victory Shield campaign on Thursday – was named on the bench.

Fulham are fond of a quick start and almost had it that way again as the flourishing partnership of Della-Verde and Hyndman linked well and in turn found Woodrow who nestled the ball in off the bar, only for the linesman to raise his flag for offside. Liverpool looked to settle into their rhythm and work the ball well especially down the right, a neat cross from Peterson causing some panic after a Fulham clearance in the box was blocked and looped agonisingly over the bar to Oberschmidt's relief.

Not long after the home team took the initiative with more good work down the middle and Hyndman finding some space 20 yards outside. The young American doesn't need to be told twice to have a go as he showed in his hat trick against Wolves previously, and he did just that as he hit a straight drive into the top left of the Liverpool net to put Fulham 1-0 up.

Liverpool looked to get right back in the game with Peterson again causing danger down the right wing, gaining a yard on Evans and slamming the ball low into the box towards a prowling 3 red shirts. Oberschmidt managed to stop it at source but a parry allowed a goalmouth scramble to ensue, with the German keeper in tandem with a couple of Fulham defenders just managing to keep it out of the goal by the skin of their teeth.

Liverpool carried on their good work, or rather were allowed to when Oberschmidt misjudged a pass that Peterson gladly ran onto and squared left to fine Sinclair, who just screwed his shot off the outside of the post under no pressure. A big let-off for the home side.

Fulham started to regain some control but their flow was somewhat stemmed by stoppages in the play for Woodrow and Donnelly to get treatment from the medical team. After this lengthy break Hyndman was caught deep in the Fulham half and the ensuing drive into the box from Liverpool was halted only under a weak penalty shout from the away side, who had men over if seen.

It was the away teams' turn to lose some concentration as the strong Baio turned on his own 18 yard line and Tankovic almost robbed the ball, just unable to get a shot away as the Liverpool player recovered well to get any kind of block on the shot.

That ever-lively Liverpool right side was at it again, Peterson cutting inside this time and firing towards the far post, only for a deflection to wrong foot Oberschmidt and look destined to nestle into the opposite corner. Oberschmidt recovered immensely well to touch the ball around the post for a corner. That corner resulted in a Fulham breakaway to the opposite end, where Arthurworrey made one of his now regular surging runs forward, his touch taking him through on goal with perhaps too much time for the Hackney-born defender to try to pick his spot when one-on-one. In the end the keeper saved well with his feet and a golden chance to double the lead spurned.

Fulham counter-attacks were coming with more regularity, Passley and Woodrow so nearly breaking in on goal before the half time whistle, Woodrow's coming from a lovely Tankovic dummy to his strike partner who are beginning to form a good bond and Tankovic looking to fill the hole left by the now under 21 forward Omri Altman.

There were no substitutions at half time but there was a bit of a shake up positionally, Passley to centre back, Della-Verde to the wing and O'Reilly stepping forward into centre midfield.
Fulham took a while to adapt to this change and Before they knew it Liverpool had upped the tempo and intensity, pushing so far forward and to coin a Chris Kamara phrase, fighting like beavers to get back into the game.

An early Liverpool corner was drilled low to the edge of the box and struck well through a plethora of players only to be met by a strong Oberschmidt hand resulting in a second corner. That second corner proved to be more dangerous than the first, with the ball not being cleared thoroughly and Baio finding himself 6 yards from goal with just Oberschmidt to beat, bang centre, easier to score than miss. The Liverpool midfielder instead found Oberschmidt's hand, coming from nowhere to make a save out of the top drawer and manage to turn the ball out of play to the disbelief of every Liverpool player and quite a few fans that they managed to bring down to South-West London.

Steve Wigley reacted from the bench and brought Tom Richards on, replacing Dan O'Reilly. Della-Verde moved back into centre midfield, Williams switched to the right and Richards given a left wing role when it may have been easier for the more experienced Richards to shackle Peterson down Liverpool's right and allow Jordan Evans to push into his more-suited left midfield position.

Wigley isn't in the job for nothing though as Richards immediately churned out a lovely cross for Tankovic to latch onto, his chest control just allowing the keeper a chance to smother, which he did gratefully. Not long after it was Richards involved again, though very unfortunately as he deflects a free kick from Liverpool's left into Jerome Sinclair's path allowing him to nod home from 5 yards with a ring of Fulham defenders rooted to the spot.

That equaliser lifted the away side even further as they increased their pressing and really put Fulham under pressure, Sinclair hitting a dipping shot just over and Passley blocking a cross well  when 3 Liverpool players were waiting an easy chance in the centre. Fulham were left to ride their luck again as a Liverpool corner fell to the edge of the box only to be shot off the post for a second time today. The next in the string of corners was hit towards the far post and headed just wide as Arthurworrey was left in a bit of tangle and needed treatment off the pitch.

Fulham almost hit the away side with a sucker punch as Tankovic looked to release Woodrow who was just unable to keep his balance after good pressure applied from the Liverpool centre back. That was a mere blip for Liverpool as they went straight up the other end to start one of the most amazing things i've seen at this level. Liverpool broke with a man advantage and Peterson was in, but for Arthurworrey returning to the pitch from behind the goal after treatment, without permission from the referee. Arthurworrey blocked Peterson in his tracks and it dropped for a second attempt from a Liverpool player that is again back off the post, the rebound falling to a Liverpool player to fire over from 8 yards centrally. Needless to say Arthurworrey was booked for his invasion of the pitch to keep Fulham on level terms.

Arthurworrey couldn't help with the next Peterson drive into the box though as the defender just gets a toe on the Swede's strike only helping it further into the corner with Oberschmidt unable to react to that change in flight. Fulham 1 Liverpool 2.

That was to be Arthurworrey's last action after the earlier injury forced him off to be replaced by Ryheem Sheckleford, the young defender given a baptism of fire against a Liverpool team with the wind in their sails. He was slotted into right back with Donnelly shifting to middle. Fulham tried to up their tempo and press as well as the away side had been all game, Hyndman winning the ball well from Baio to release Woodrow who was just the wrong side of the defence, causing the flag to be raised against him, this happened all too regularly on the day unfortunately for him, Liverpool deploying a very high line, something that the missing Moussa Dembele i'm sure would have taken advantage of.

There was just about time for Yalany Baio to add a goal to a glittering performance, a neat little cruyff touch leaving Della-Verde reeling and taking the player from Guinea-Bissau on to his left foot with 20 yards to the goal in a couple of yards of space. He managed to find the top corner with a finish not unlike Hyndman's early in the game.

That well and truly handed the points to the travelling side, Fulham 1-3 Liverpool.

On a day where Fulham could have gone into the break 2-0 up and comfortable, you have to hand it to Liverpool for their approach, intense pressing of the ball high up the pitch and chasing every lost cause that eventually earned the win. Fulham will go into the game at Cobham next week looking to  bounce back and regain the top spot in the group. No doubt there'll be changes, but what better way for Steve Wigley to learn about his new side and hopefully himself than a defeat that will pose him many questions.

Man of the match is a toss up between Yalany Baio and Kristoffer Peterson, the former dictating the tempo for Liverpool much the way Steven Gerrard does for the first team, and capping it off with a superb goal. Peterson was a danger all day down that right hand side and also grabbed himself a goal. For Fulham, you can't look past Max Oberschmidt who made 3 world class saves at really pivotal moments and was at no fault for either of the goals.

Fulham : Oberschmidt; Donnelly, Arthurworrey (Sheckleford), O'Reilly (Richards), Evans; Passley, Della-Verde, Hyndman, Williams; Tankovic, Woodrow. Not used : Grainger, Roberts (who played the full game for the under 16's)

Liverpool : Fuiton; Quirk, Jones, Williams, Maguire; Peterson, Baio, Lussey, Gainford; Smith (Randell), Sinclair. Not used : Mersin, Herton, Ojo, Brannagan

[Burt]

Thanks Mr Elgreenio sir, a good report, even if the result ended up going against us. Seems to be a lot to be positive about though.