England National Champion Reserve (North v South Play-off final) : Liverpool FC 3-0 Aston Villa

RESERVES CROWNED NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Paul Hassall at Anfield 07 May 2008

Liverpool Reserves have been crowned National Champions after powering to a resounding victory over Aston Villa in an entertaining play-off final at Anfield.

Gary Ablett's men produced the type of performance typical of their all-conquering campaign, combining attractive, flowing football with some gutsy, determined defending to clinch a 3-0 win courtesy of goals from Krisztian Nemeth, Jordy Brouwer and Lucas Leiva.

It caps a remarkable season for the Reds' second string, who can now add the national title to both the Dallas Cup and the Northern Division championship, to complete what is a superb cup treble.

On a rare sun-drenched evening at Anfield, it was Villa who settled the quicker of the two sides, but for all their good approach play Liverpool manufactured the game's first real moment of note when Krisztian Nemeth's cute back heel was deflected away by the last-ditch boot of Isaiah Osbourne, to deny Lucas a clear run at goal.

The Brazilian was in the side in place of the injured Jay Spearing and provided some South American rhythm at the centre of the park against Kevin McDonald's experienced Villa outfit that included first-teamers such as Stuart Taylor, Wayne Routledge, Shaun Maloney and Marlon Harewood.

In truth, the visitors enjoyed the majority of the possession throughout an entertaining first-half and went close through Chris Herd's 20-yard snap shot before the hosts took the lead courtesy of a familiar marksmen.

The lively Nabil El Zhar ran at the heart of the Villa defence and fed a neat ball through to Jordy Brouwer who in turn laid an instant flick to Nemeth on the right, with the Hungarian showing great composure to flash a shot from just inside the penalty area into the far corner to give Liverpool the perfect start.

It was a magnificent team goal and all the more fitting that the yellow-booted forward was the man on target, having been irrepressible in front of goal throughout a superb season with the reserves.

It gave the Reds the lift they needed and El Zhar drilled a long range strike over the cross bar before Jordy Brouwer wasted a great chance to double the home side's advantage on 24 minutes.

Ryan Flynn showed great determination to outpace his marker and fire in a dangerous cross from the left and although no one was on hand to finish off his superb wing play, El Zhar took up the baton on the far right and surged beyond Nathan Baker before cutting the ball back to Brouwer who side-footed a weak effort straight at Taylor from eight yards out.

However, it was as good as it got for the Reds in the first period and Villa began to dominate the proceedings as they pushed forward in search of the equaliser.

The first opportunity for the visitors to level fell to Marlon Harwood, who had already scored at Anfield during a 2-2 draw against Rafael Benitez's senior side earlier in the season, and he will feel he should have repeated that feat on 26 minutes, after lashing a fierce 25-yard strike just over Peter Gulacsi's crossbar.

The pace of Routledge was a cause for concern for Gary Ablett's men throughout the match and just seconds later Villa had carved Liverpool open down the right once again, but this time Herd somehow contrived to hit the post from 10 yards out after Harwood and Moloney combined to put him clear.

The Reds continued to look a threat on the counter-attack but it was the away side who again went closest to scoring prior to the interval when Mikel San Jose reacted brilliantly to clear Maloney's stabbed effort off the line after Gulacsi had dropped Routledge's right-wing cross.

It was a similar story after the break too, but Villa's fortune in front of goal continued to desert them as proved on 57 minutes when Moustapha Salifou saw his long range volley crash back off the crossbar with Gulacsi well beaten.

El Zhar and Nemeth offered some brief respite for the Reds rearguard with the former seeing his run and shot well blocked before the latter stung the fingertips of Taylor with a rasping 25-yard drive.

With both sides creating a series of good openings, something had to give, and after Maloney wasted a glorious chance to pull the Villains level, Liverpool struck the killer blow on 66 minutes.

Emiliano Insua won the ball deep in Villa territory allowing Nemeth to seize on the loose ball and play in Brouwer, who raced into the penalty area before hammering the ball, low into the bottom left-hand corner to send the Kop into raptures.

It was a strike that seemed to deflate the away side and on 76 minutes the Reds wrapped up victory when substitute Daniel Pacheco's delightfully disguised pass sent Lucas clear and the Brazilian made no mistake to ensure the 7,580 supporters packed into Anfield went home happy.

Liverpool Reserves: Gulacsi, Darby, Insua, San Jose, Huth, Plessis, El Zhar (Simon 86), Lucas, Brouwer (Pacheco 73), Nemeth (Lindfield 80), Flynn. Unused subs: Bouzanis, Kelly, Simon.

Aston Villa Reserves: Taylor, Lund (Bannan 74), Baker (Delfouneso 46), Osbourne, Clark, Lowry, Salifou, Routledge, Harewood, Herd, Maloney (Albrighton 77). Unused subs: Bevan, Collins.

Liverpoolfc.tv man of the match: Krisztian Nemeth. A classy forward who once again showed his promise with a superb goal and a clever assist.

Attendance: 7,580