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Jayden Danns of Liverpool(Image: Liverpool FC\/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)<\/p>\nJayden Danns was among the goalscorers for Liverpool under-21s as Joe Bradshaw continued his progress with the U18sJayden Danns of Liverpool(Image: Liverpool FC\/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
New season, new optimism. But it was a weekend of contrasting fortunes for the main Liverpool Academy teams under their respective new head coaches.<\/p>\n
While the under-18s romped to a 5-1 win at Stoke City on Saturday in their opening U18 Premier League<\/a> North fixture under Simon Wiles, the U21s – now with former Wales boss Rob Page in charge – suffered a 4-2 reverse at Leicester City on Monday night in their first Premier League 2 game of the campaign.<\/p>\n There were, though, some positives to take for Page’s side, particularly another goal for Jayden Danns as the 19-year-old continues to rediscover match sharpness having been absent for much of the year with a stress fracture in his back.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Alexander Isak interest has exposed transfer truth Liverpool must now negotiate<\/a>READ MORE: I find Alexander Isak transfer stance incredible – what is being asked of Liverpool is ludicrous<\/a><\/p>\n Danns – who played an hour – gave Liverpool<\/a> hope of a comeback at Leicester when, after the home side had taken a 2-0 lead by the interval through Michael Golding and Nathaniel Opoku, he netted four minutes after half-time into the top corner after being found by Michael Laffey.<\/p>\n Hope proved to be shortlived, though, with Golding and Opoku both scoring again in quick succession before Liverpool – for whom Calvin Ramsay started at right-back – pulled a goal back late on through Laffey.<\/p>\n There was better fortune for new U18s boss Wiles as 17-year-old Joe Bradshaw inspired the young Reds to comprehensive victory at Stoke.<\/p>\n Bradshaw, last season’s top scorer for the U18s and who signed his first professional contract in the summer, set up DJ Esdaille to bag the opener and then curled in a brilliant free-kick to double Liverpool’s advantage.<\/p>\n Josh Sonni-Lambie notched a remarkable goal on the hour from the halfway line after Stoke goalkeeper Lucas Knight was out of position before substitute Finn Inglethorpe scored with his first touch.<\/p>\n Stoke pulled one back from a corner with a Tommy McNally header before home defender Sanchez Phillips put through his own net to completed the scoring.<\/p>\n Liverpool U21s are next up against Burnley at Kirkby<\/a> on Monday (2pm) while the U18s travel to the Clarets on Saturday, August 30 (11am).<\/p>\n LIVERPOOL U21s: Pecsi; Ramsay, Lucky, Nallo (Pinnington 46), Miles; Davidson (Wright 60), Pilling; Morrison (Ahmed 78), Laffey, Kone-Doherty; Danns (Figueroa 60). Sub: Hall. BOOKING: Davidson.<\/p>\n