Oakley Cannonier Scores Hat Trick for Liverpool U21s

While most of the focus this preseason is on the Men’s and Women’s senior teams, the Liverpool Academy sides are also getting prepared for the upcoming season. Barry Lewtas and the LFC U21 side took on Hull City on Friday.

While several of the promising young talents from the Academy were still with the senior team, Lewtas was still able to field a side littered with bright potential. One player who was a welcome sight to see was Oakley Cannonier. The young attacker was in fine form in the early stages of last season before injuries derailed his year.

Liverpool didn’t take long to get their attack going with Mateusz Musialowski seeing his effort from close range saved in just the 5th minute. The young Reds kept the attack going and broke through for their first goal in the 12th minute. Luca Stephenson’s pass broke the lines, with Tommy Pilling collecting the ball and putting the ball past the goalkeeper.

Oakley Cannonnier got onto the scoresheet shortly thereafter thanks to a feed from Francis Gyimah after a nice move down the left side of the pitch. Cannonier got a second goal just before the half, this time finishing from a ball from the right provided by Trent Kone-Doherty this time. The goal gave the young Reds a 3-0 lead heading into the halftime break.

Oakley Cannonier almost completed his hat trick shortly after the 60th minute. Trent Kone-Doherty again worked the ball down the right wing before providing service in for Cannonier, but the striker put his shot just past the post.

Central defender Billy Koumetio added a fourth goal for Liverpool in the 778th minute. He knocked the ball in from a cross by James Norris.

Cannonier got his third goal of the match just minutes from full time. Isaac Mabaya put the ball on a platter with a cut back, and Cannonier obligingly put the ball into the back of the net to put the score line at 5-0.

The match finished with no further changes to the score line. The U21 side will kick off their Premier League 2 season in just over a week on August 14, hosting Everton in a mini-derby.