Liverpool Under-21s were beaten in dramatic fashion in their Premier League 2 play-off first round clash against Crystal Palace at the Academy on Sunday afternoon
17:19, 26 Apr 2026Updated 17:43, 26 Apr 2026
Will Wright of Liverpool arriving before the Premier League match against Crystal Palace at Anfield on April 25, 2026 (Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool saw their Premier League 2 hopes ended with dramatic defeat at home to Crystal Palace in the first round of the play-offs on Sunday afternoon.
Two goals from Will Wright at the start of each half ensured the game ended in a 2-2 draw after normal time at the Academy in Kirkby after Palace had gone ahead by the interval through Rio Cardines and Zach Marsh.
The Eagles regained the lead on 107 minutes when Joseph Gibbard forced the ball home from close range after a series of fortunate deflections only for substitute Keyrol Figueroa to level six minutes later.
That made it 3-3 and took the tie to penalties, with Palace emerging as 3-1 winners after Michael Laffey, Wright and Figueroa missed their spot-kicks for Liverpool.
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The loss – against a team who had won 5-1 here last month – concludes the season for Rob Page’s under-21 side, who had finished seventh in the regular table. The Eagles now face Manchester United in the last eight.
Wright on cue with Morrison
It has been quite the weekend for Wright. Having made the bench for the senior team for the first time in Saturday’s Premier League win over Crystal Palace, he led the line against the same opposition at the main Academy level.
And it took the 18-year-old only 12 minutes to make an impact, racing on to a Kieran Morrison pass inside the area and showing great strength to hold off a defender before smashing home a shot inside the near post.
Wright had already signalled his intent with a scuffed shot after another good link-up with Morrison, and is a rare breed of having the ability and strength to hold up possession, the height to compete for difficult balls and pace to get in behind defences.
Plus he loves to sniff out a goal, as was seen with Liverpool’s equaliser on 58 minutes when, after more good play from the excellent Morrison down the right, Wright showed desire to get in front of his marker to score from close range. He deserved better than to be one of those to miss in the shoot-out.
The youngster, signed from Salford City last summer, was one of many Liverpool strikers at first-team and Academy level to have been struck by the curse of serious injury this season having been ruled out for several months with a knee problem suffered in September.
And another, Figueroa, came off the bench to net a dramatic late equaliser when rising high to head in a deep Calvin Ramsay cross.
McConnell returns
What should have been a significant season in the development of James McConnell has instead been one of frustration for the midfielder.
A season-long loan move at Ajax was cut short due to lack of minutes and a shoulder injury that ultimately required surgery and kept him out since before Christmas.
But the 21-year-old, having come off the bench in a friendly last week, made a welcome return here in a midfield that also included the in-form Kyle Kelly and first-team squad regular Trey Nyoni.
There was one first-half burst forward that created a chance for Nyoni but otherwise McConnell was understandably a player who had gone a long time without competitive action before making way on the hour.
With Kelly also given 60 minutes and Nyoni replaced at the end of normal time, Liverpool ended with a new-look engine room in which both Tommy Pilling and Laffey helped maintain the momentum with the home team.
Ndiaye digs in
The learning curve can often be steep and painful at Academy level. And January signing Mor Talla Ndiaye is finding he is no exception to that particular rule.
Having had to wait for his U21s debut due to injury, the 18-year-old centre-back had just 72 minutes of Premier League 2 action under his belt before being given a start alongside Amara Nallo on Sunday.
And it was a difficult first half for the Senegalese, whose bad touch and subsequent foul invited Cardines to curl in a fine free-kick from the edge of the area for Palace’s equaliser on 15 minutes.
Ndiaye, who was a non-playing member of the first-team matchday squad on Saturday, also escaped what looked a handball inside the area and probable second yellow card when his touch was sufficient to help Armin Pecsi make a fine save from a Palace header.
To his credit, Ndiaye wasn’t perturbed and put in a number of good headers in the second half as the visitors pressed.
Pecsi, who was close to coming off the bench for the senior side on Saturday, made a handful of good saves, not least a brave stop late on to deny Palace sub Ben Casey. But it was visiting counterpart Harry Lee who was the shoot-out hero, saving three times.
LIVERPOOL U21s (4-2-3-1): Pecsi; Ramsay, Nallo, Ndiaye, Pitt; Kelly (Laffey 60), McConnell (Pilling 60); Morrison, Nyoni (Bradshaw 90), Sonni-Lambie (Figueroa 105); Wright. Subs: Misciur.