Lewis Koumas scored four as Liverpool U18s opened their season with a 6-2 home victory over Middlesbrough on Saturday.
The forward fired in three times during the opening 45 minutes, with a Ben Doak penalty and own goal helping put the young Reds 5-1 up at half-time.
Koumas then grabbed his fourth from close range on the hour mark to complete a brilliant start to the U18s Premier League North campaign for Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s side.
It took less than half an hour for Liverpool to establish a 4-0 lead.
The home side opened their account for the campaign by way of an own goal with five minutes on the clock.
Doak’s charging run into the penalty area and eventual shot inadvertently deflected in off Aidan Bridge, who had been tracking back.
The advantage was doubled four minutes later when Koumas expertly brought Niall Osborne’s ball over the top under control before applying a convincing finish at the near post.
Despite the Reds being well on top, Fabian Mrozek was called upon to keep it 2-0 with a good low save to deny Max Howells.
Doak continued to threaten down the left wing, and the summer arrival from Celtic won and converted a spot-kick to net his team’s third of the afternoon in minute 22.
And in a near identical move to the second goal, Koumas got on the scoresheet again to make it 4-0 when he latched onto another lofted pass from Osborne and beat Boro goalkeeper Nathan Fisher.
That goal drew an immediate response from the visitors, however, as Howells drove into the box and found the bottom right corner of the net.
But there was still time for Liverpool to score again before the first half’s conclusion; Koumas pounced on an under-hit backpass and calmly rounded Fisher to complete his treble.
It was a similar tale after the half-time interval, with Bridge-Wilkinson’s charges well on top.
Terence Miles struck the crossbar with a looping header from a free-kick, although the Reds didn’t have to wait long to find the back of the net once more.
A lovely team move ended with Ranel Young squaring when Boro’s defenders were expecting a shot, allowing Koumas to tap in from a yard out for his fourth.
The visitors pulled one back through Ashley MacCarthy’s well-taken finish with a quarter of an hour remaining but the damage proved to be irreversible.
Liverpool U18s: Mrozek, Osborne, Pinnington, Miles, Giblin, McConnell, Pennington (Laffey, 58), Doak (Gyimah, 70), Young (Hayes-Green, 82), Kone-Doherty (Figueroa, 70), Koumas.
Unused substitute: Morana.
