Liverpool started well popping the ball around confidently with both Brannagan and Smith firing in dangerous crosses across the face of the goal.
Valenica should have nodded home Cresswell’s superb cross from the left after Lovren completely missed a clearing header, only managing to head the ball out.
A whipped in Teixiera corner was glanced on by Benteke and cleared off the line by Cresswell. Only moments later a sumptuous Brannagan cross was only inches away from the outstretched boot of Bentenke, although one felt the ‘Big Man’ lacked conviction.
Liverpool with so many youngsters in the side were not as had been expected, overawed or overrun with the impressive Cameron Brannagan heading the brains trusts in midfield. The 19 year-old almost put his team ahead with a spectacular left-footed drive from 20 yards which Darren Randolph pushed away diving at full length.
West Ham then suffered an unlucky break losing James Tomkins after a collision with Allen and Kouyate in quick succession replaced by Joey O’Brien and Nikica Jelavic respectively.
West Ham finished the half positively with Obiang volleying Benteke’s clearance just past the upright with Mignolet scrambling uncomfortably across goal.
Early in the second-half Payet, subdued up to that point whipped in a free-kick into the danger zone which was flicked on by Jelavic only for Caulker to commit handball on two separate occasions. The on-loan centre-half was fortunate to get away with the infringement being on the blind side of the referee.
Clyne, another having a solid game cut in from the left at pace before shooting powerfully over. The full-back playing with more alacrity than of late sped through an inviting gap before passing across the edge of the area to the waiting Joe Allen. The Welsh midfielder looking more and more like an explorer with his bearded growth fired disappointingly over.
Liverpool were enjoying their best period of the game and another fluent move ended with Bentenke cleverly finding Brad Smith on the overlap, before he pulled the ball back to Teixiera who shot straight at Randolph.
The chances were flowing and a Bentenke on his game would have sent Liverpool into the next round.
First, the Belgium internal stabbed at Stewart’s volley when left unmarked in front of the goal, only to see his effort going in the opposite direction to which he’d intended. Then after latching on to Jordon Ibe’s superbly weighted pass, he managed to squeeze off a shot which Randolph could only fumble. Joe Allen following up hit the ball into the keeper which found its way back to Benteke and with Teixiera standing square of him to tap the ball home, the striker inexplicably shot straight at Randolph.
That’s was a close at it got for Liverpool.
In injury time West Ham’s Antonio saw his effort hit the inside of Mignolet’s far post after the ball had seemingly gone out of play from the initial cross. Play was eventually blown up for a foul by the player.
Man of the match: Cameron Brannagan – Belied his experience with a technically efficient performance. Already earmarked out as Liverpool’s set piece taker his delivery is head and shoulders above anything seen in a Red’s shirt this season. He has an eye for a pass both short and long range and while he certainly has a cultured right foot his left leg is certainly not only for standing as he unleashed a brilliant left-footed shot heading for the corner of the net before Randolph pulled off a decent diving save.
Liverpool played well against a full-strength West Ham and were more positive against the set piece deliveries of Payet which Caulker in his first start and Lovren with the help of Benteke staving off any threat without much alarm.
Kevin Stewart certainly had his best performance in a Liverpool shirt in central areas only spoiling his performing in failing to compose himself in the final third of the field shooting wildly into the crowd on a couple of occasions. Teixiera exhibited excellent control and touches and on another day may have come away with a goal. He sometimes held on to the ball too long appearing a tad lightweight in the challenge, but he needs more games if we are to see his undoubted talent fulfilled. That being said, with Liverpool constantly linked with Alex Teixiera his long-term future must be called into question, although I have to admit he is a one of my favourite players and Liverpool in the shape of Pacheco and Suso have lost too many fabulously talented players over the last few years.
Brad Smith’s composed performance against the speedy and powerful threat of Victor Moses and his ability coming forward must make him a live threat to usurp the cavalier Alberto Moreno.
The result means an extra game in February in an already crowded fixture list, but as Reds fan Francoise said on our WhatsApp LFC group, it provides the youngsters with another game to make their pitch for a regular first team place.
Teams:
Liverpool: 22 Mignolet, 2 Cyne, 19 Caulker, 6 Lovren, 44 Smith, 32 Brannagan (Jerome Sinclair – 86 mins), 36 Stewart, 24 Allen, 33 Ibe (Oluwaseyi Ojo – 80 mins), 9 Bentenke, 53 Joao Carlos Teixiera (Jose Enriques - 90 mins)
Subs: 3 Jose Enrique, 26 Tiago Illori, 48 Jerome Sinclair, 52 Danny Ward, 54 Oluwaseyi Ojo, 56 Connor Randall, 60 Pedro Chirivella
West Ham: Darren Randolph, 5 James Tomkins (Joey O’Brien – 35 mins), 2 Winston Reid, 21 Angelo Ogbonna, 3 Aaron Cresswell, 8 Cheikhou Kouyate (Nikica Jelavic – 37 mins), 4 Alex Song, 14 Pedro Obiang, 20 Victor Moses (Michail Antonio – 70 mins), 11 Enner Valencia, 27 Dimitri Payer
Subs: 17 Joey O’Brien, 19 James Collins, 26 Nikica Jelavic, 30 Michail Antonio, 35 Reece Oxford, 35 Josh Cullen, 46 Samuel Howes
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Attendance: 44,006
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