Clarkson then struck the post after a neat one-two with Jake
Cain, who recently signed his irst pro contract with LFC, before
the Reds lost Larouci to injury. It was the arrival of Huyton-born
striker Layton Stewart from the bench that provided Liverpool with
a cutting edge, and he improvised to get his foot to an Elliott cross
at the far-post, turning the ball into the net.
It was the least that Lewtas’ side deserved, having dominated the
second half, and with Salzburg and Genk also drawing 1-1 in their
Group E opener, all four sides were level in the table.
Matchday Two saw the Reds come from 2-1 down to beat
Salzburg 4-2 at a chilly Totally Wicked Stadium in St Helens. The
Reds took the lead in the ifth minute when Rhian Brewster drove
forward from his own half before slipping the ball to Yasser Larouci
who lashed into the net.
They had chances to increase their lead before Salzburg’s Karim
Adeymi beat the ofside trap and rounded keeper Kuba to slot
home, then after the break David Afengruber headed the visitors
ahead from a corner and a coach-load of Salzburg fans celebrated
by twirling their scarves in the air.Lewtas switched from 3-4-3 to four-at-the-back and in the 78th
minute, just as he was about to be substituted, Williams headed
Larouci’s cross home at the far-post to make it 2-2.
In the last ten minutes Reds skipper Luis Longstaf curled the ball
into the bottom corner, then Brewster completed the comeback
with a stoppage-time penalty after Elliott was hauled down in the
box.
“The boys said in the dressing-room it was an aggressive game to
play in but a good experience,” said Lewtas. “We were well worth
the win but had to work for it.”
Between late October and early November the Reds played
Genk away then at home. The game in Flanders was played in the
shadow of Genk’s Luminus Arena and it was Layton Stewart who
again made the diference when he was clattered by the keeper
then stepped up to convert the spot-kick – his eighth goal in 14
games in all competitions so far this season. Curtis Jones sealed the
victory in the second half when Elliott played him through and he
nutmegged the goalie.
The team headed into Matchday Four top of the group on sevenRhian Brewster netted a late spot-kick
to win the home game with SalzburgBut Genk would stun the Reds with a 1-0 win here