Bolton Reserves 1 Liverpool Reserves 2
David N'Gog denied Wanderers a notable scalp as the half time arrival scored once and helped create a second for a Liverpool side that left Leyland with more than the first half might have earlier suggested.
Bolton had made life fairly uncomfortable for the variety of international-class imports on show for the Reds, largely dominating in terms of territory and chances, but two goals in the last 20 minutes ensured that the points ended up on Merseyside.
Zoltan Harsanyi's last gasp consolation offered late cheer, but N'Gog's drive and Gerardo Bruna's somewhat fortuitous effort had already denied the Whites as much as a point, which would have been a fair reflection of the way they took the game to their big name visitors.
Michael O'Halloran was fastest out of the starting blocks, testing keeper Peter Gulacsi and making a fair claim for a penalty having been bundled over by Chrys Mavinga, both within the first five minutes.
Aaron Mooy then took over the role of chief tormentor with a palm-testing free kick that Gulacsi did well to block, and some neat interplay with Harsanyi resulted in the Australian going close again.
For all their neat and pacy approach work, Liverpool initially created relatively little, with their most likely opening seeing Moroccan international Nabil El Zhar firing narrowly wide after a nice build up involving Lauri Dalle Valle and David Amoo.
Scoreless at the interval, Liverpool swapped one star name with another as El Zhar was replaced by first team fixture David N'Gog - a change that proved to be pivotal.
Wanderers kept asking questions and Sam Sheridan's 20-yard drive brought a good response out of a sprawling Gulacsi, but the tide started to turn at a wet County Ground as firstly N'Gog drove wide and other big name imports Damien Plessis and Daniel Ayala fired shots over the top.
The pressure finally told with 18 minutes left. Daniel Pacheco - formerly of Barcelona - was the creator down the Liverpool left, forcing in a well-placed cross behind the back line of defence that gave N'Gog a simple chance to side foot home from six yards.
And just five minutes later it was all over as Gerardo Bruna put plenty of pace on a free kick from the opposite flank, and though N'Gog was the intended target, the ball appeared to sneak in off the unfortunate Rhys Bennett who couldn't react quickly enough to make a clearing touch.
Harsanyi's close range stoppage-time strike after being played in by Mooy gave Bolton a deserved consolation, but the damage had already been done.
Wanderers: Bogdan, Riley, Blakeman, Bennett, Burns, McDonald (Irwin 81), O'Halloran, Sheridan, Sampson (Campbell 78), Mooy, Harsanyi. Subs not used: Lainton, Odelusi, MacGregor.
Liverpool: Gulacsi, Irwin, Mavinga (Cooper 66), Ayala, Palsson, Pacheco, El Zhar (N'Gog 46), Amoo, Dalle Valle (Brouwer 54), Plessis, Bruna. Subs not used: Kolhert, Oldfield.
Bolton had made life fairly uncomfortable for the variety of international-class imports on show for the Reds, largely dominating in terms of territory and chances, but two goals in the last 20 minutes ensured that the points ended up on Merseyside.
Zoltan Harsanyi's last gasp consolation offered late cheer, but N'Gog's drive and Gerardo Bruna's somewhat fortuitous effort had already denied the Whites as much as a point, which would have been a fair reflection of the way they took the game to their big name visitors.
Michael O'Halloran was fastest out of the starting blocks, testing keeper Peter Gulacsi and making a fair claim for a penalty having been bundled over by Chrys Mavinga, both within the first five minutes.
Aaron Mooy then took over the role of chief tormentor with a palm-testing free kick that Gulacsi did well to block, and some neat interplay with Harsanyi resulted in the Australian going close again.
For all their neat and pacy approach work, Liverpool initially created relatively little, with their most likely opening seeing Moroccan international Nabil El Zhar firing narrowly wide after a nice build up involving Lauri Dalle Valle and David Amoo.
Scoreless at the interval, Liverpool swapped one star name with another as El Zhar was replaced by first team fixture David N'Gog - a change that proved to be pivotal.
Wanderers kept asking questions and Sam Sheridan's 20-yard drive brought a good response out of a sprawling Gulacsi, but the tide started to turn at a wet County Ground as firstly N'Gog drove wide and other big name imports Damien Plessis and Daniel Ayala fired shots over the top.
The pressure finally told with 18 minutes left. Daniel Pacheco - formerly of Barcelona - was the creator down the Liverpool left, forcing in a well-placed cross behind the back line of defence that gave N'Gog a simple chance to side foot home from six yards.
And just five minutes later it was all over as Gerardo Bruna put plenty of pace on a free kick from the opposite flank, and though N'Gog was the intended target, the ball appeared to sneak in off the unfortunate Rhys Bennett who couldn't react quickly enough to make a clearing touch.
Harsanyi's close range stoppage-time strike after being played in by Mooy gave Bolton a deserved consolation, but the damage had already been done.
Wanderers: Bogdan, Riley, Blakeman, Bennett, Burns, McDonald (Irwin 81), O'Halloran, Sheridan, Sampson (Campbell 78), Mooy, Harsanyi. Subs not used: Lainton, Odelusi, MacGregor.
Liverpool: Gulacsi, Irwin, Mavinga (Cooper 66), Ayala, Palsson, Pacheco, El Zhar (N'Gog 46), Amoo, Dalle Valle (Brouwer 54), Plessis, Bruna. Subs not used: Kolhert, Oldfield.
Referee: Mr W Barratt.
By Adrian Ward
